


The Strongest Hearts

by bigwolfpup



Series: The Strongest Hearts Saga [1]
Category: Marvel
Genre: Alpha Bucky Barnes, Alpha Steve Rogers, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Bottom Tony Stark, Depressed Tony Stark, Developing Relationship, Emotional Hurt, M/M, Major Character Injury, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Miscarriage, Omega Tony Stark, Self-Harm, Stony - Freeform, Top Steve Rogers, Unplanned Pregnancy, drinking while pregnant, unprofessional medical procedures
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-05
Updated: 2020-01-25
Packaged: 2020-11-24 00:36:27
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 16
Words: 106,680
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20898746
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bigwolfpup/pseuds/bigwolfpup
Summary: Part 1 of The Strongest Hearts Saga.Omega Tony Stark never thought he'd find the right alpha. He hardly fit the mold of what an omega in 1940's society expected, and if even his beta father couldn't accept his passion for science and creating, then how could he expect any alpha to put up with him? And then beta-turned-alpha Steve Rogers came into his life, offering him the chance to do so much more than stay at home and raise babies. Having Captain America as his alpha promised Tony the freedom he was looking for.Before Steve was suddenly torn from his hands and changed his world forever.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> A double AU Stony fic, Omegaverse and if Tony had lived in the 1940's along side Steve. Steve and Tony are the same age, and Tony doesn't have his iconic facial hair quite yet.

Tony had only known about Steve Rogers for a few weeks. Some boy from the streets of Brooklyn enlisted in the army, got in and went to boot camp, apparently was willing to sacrifice himself to save his fellow soldiers, something about grabbing a flag, which really didn’t sound all that great, and on top of all that, he was scrawny as hell. How he got into the army, Tony could never know. He thought Steve was perhaps a beta at first, maybe even an omega, which was simply unheard of. Omegas didn’t go off to fight wars, they stayed at home and waited for their alphas to return home, or find new ones if theirs died out on the battlefield. It was a simple fact of life; Omegas  _ never _ fought in wars.

Still, Tony had to wonder if this possible omega was something special that the government decided was needed in the war. He had overheard Abraham talk to his father about Steve; something about the war needing a little guy to fight for once, whatever that meant. Little guy either meant beta or omega, so maybe Tony would get a rare chance to meet this Mr. Rogers and talk “little guy” stuff with him. 

After all, being an omega himself, Tony knew there was little chance he was going to be involved in any big plans his father was involved in, including this “little” super soldier project. 

Yawning and slouching ever so slightly, Tony stood up in the observation booth, watching over his father and Abraham as they set everything up for the procedure Steve was going to be put through; which meant he wasn’t going to be a little guy for much longer. There went his hopes of talking to the guy before hand. He hated the thought of being stuck up in the observation booth for the whole time. He wanted to be involved with his father, learn how things worked. Not that he didn’t know how they worked already. Tony had watched for years, copying his father’s projects in secret until he was smart enough to do his own projects. Little experiments he performed in his bedroom that somehow he successfully hid from his father. Because, according to Howard Stark, “No omega should be doing the things you do. It’s not natural.”

Tony rolled his eyes and folded his arms across his chest. Some _ equalist _ his dad was. Howard claimed to want equal rights but Tony knew it was really just for the publicity, the fame, the public knowing that he was a “really good guy”! Too bad he didn’t practice what he preached.

The doors below the observation deck swung open and in walked Mr. Steve Rogers himself, along with Agent Peggy Carter; a beta. From the looks of it, Steve was also a beta. Slightly too large to be an omega, and far too small to be an alpha. Tony really wanted to go out and meet the guy; introduce himself and hope that he didn’t view omegas the way Howard did.

It only took Tony a split second to decide to leave the observation room and join his father and Abraham below. He wanted in on the action, he wanted to be involved, know exactly what was going on. No one stopped him on his way out, though he did get some warnings from other agents and scientists. Screw them; he was going to greet Steve because Anthony Edward Stark was  _ not  _ just going to stand by and watch this super soldier project from the sidelines.

Tony pushed open the door and went down the stairs, making heads turn in the whole room. First thing he noticed was how short Steve was. Tony wasn’t really much taller than him, if at all. Really they were right at eye level with each other. Second thing Tony noticed was the scent Steve gave off , or lack thereof. Steve was a beta after all. Rather short for a beta, but hey at least his face was kinda cute.The third thing Tony noticed was his father giving him a hard glare and was starting to walk over to him. Tony’s heart pounded in his chest, so he stepped closer to Peggy and Steve and cleared his throat. 

“Don’t mind me, just coming to watch.”

“Tony,” Peggy said with a cautious tone. “I know you want to be involved, but your father doesn’t like it.” She glanced over at Howard, giving him a stern look that made him pause and just stare at his son.

“I don’t want to sit on the sidelines and watch, Peggy. I can’t stand it--you know that. I’m creative, I have to make things, do things, work on projects like this.” Tony huffed, his small frame shaking because he knew his father was watching him pull this tantrum in front of the guy who was supposed to become a super soldier.

“I know, Tony. I know you want to work on your own projects, and you will one day, I promise.” Peggy put a hand on Tony’s shoulder, to which he shrugged off with a hurt expression. “Oh, come now. Don’t mope in front of Mr. Rogers here. You could at least introduce yourself like any proper gentleman would.”

Tony gave Peggy a doubting look before looking at Steve. “Guess I got a bit carried away. I’m usually not allowed at things like this.”

Steve gave a kind smile. “I understand. Us little guys just want a part of the action.”

“Thank you! Finally, someone who understands, Peggy.” Tony gave a pointed look to the agent, the hint of a smirk pulling at the corner of his mouth. “I’m Tony, by the way,” he said to Steve. ‘If you didn’t catch that.”

“Steve,” the blond offered, holding his hand out for Tony to shake.

A disapproving Howard cleared his throat when the two shook hands. “The grumpy old man over there is my dad,” Tony said in an annoyed tone, refusing to look at his father. “Don’t mind him, he’s like that most of the time I’m around his precious projects.”

“I’m sure he’ll be less grumpy once this procedure works,” Peggy interjected.

“Yes, and when my un-omega-like son returns to the observation room where he was supposed to stay,” Howard said rather sternly. 

"Oh, he's alright to be here, Mr. Stark," Abraham said with a chuckle, moving over to the other four. "He can at least see what we're doing to Steve to prepare him, and then he can join Peggy in the observation room."

"He'll be a distraction," The older Stark argued, but his argument was lost. Abraham was already inviting Tony over to look at the contraption Steve was going to get into.

"It looks big," Tony said, Steve agreeing with him. 

"Looks uncomfortable," Peggy commented. 

"Well it probably is both those things, but it is not designed for a small body or a comfortable experience. We're hoping this procedure will go quickly and successfully." Abraham turned to Steve. "Now, take off your hat, tie, and shirt."

That was the cue for Peggy and Tony to retreat to the observation room, which Tony disapproved of quite a bit, but at least he would have Peggy with him. He could ask questions; look intelligent again and not get disapproving looks from his father. Tony couldn’t wait for the day he wouldn’t have to be in his father’s shadow and hide on the sidelines. He could make his own projects and have them branded with the Stark Industries logo. In a perfect world, everything would go his way and he would be free to work without the boundaries his father set up or an alpha his mother may have tried to set him up with.

As Tony and Peggy headed up to the observation room, Tony couldn’t help but feel a little sad, but at the same time, a little excited. After all, the procedure would potentially open more doors for the little guys. Still, seeing Steve, a little guy like himself, turn into a super soldier was honestly a little disheartening. Steve had a smaller chance of at least being his friend now. Tony shook his head as he approached the glass and looked down at Steve.

The blond was getting into the contraption, and yeah it was a little big on the beta. Tony cracked a little smile at the sight. Too bad the contraption would be almost too small once Steve was done with the procedure, if all went well and worked the way his father had claimed it would.

Tony’s thoughts were distracted when Abraham grabbed a microphone and tapped on it to make sure it was on. A whining screech of feedback caught the attention of everyone else in the observation room.

“Ladies and Gentlemen, today we take not another step towards annihilation, but the first step on the path to peace.”

Tony watched as a tube was rolled over to the contraption, the lid sliding to reveal several vials of the serum Steve was to be injected with. He wasn’t sure he quite liked the bright blue color. Made it look unnatural, which it really was in the end.

“We begin with a series of microinjections,” Abraham continued, “into the subject’s major muscle groups. The serum infusion will create immediate cellular change. And then, to stimulate growth, the subject will be saturated with Vita-rays.”

Vita-rays… Tony had only heard those mentioned very briefly, but he knew they were used to make the serum work. Without them, Steve would end up in a pile of goopy human flesh probably. The omega shuddered at the thought and chose instead to glance around the observation room at the people watching, among them being Colonel Chester Phillips and some politician or other important local figures Tony didn’t care to remember the name of. Sighing, he looked back out the glass as Abraham started counting down.

Steve looked nervous as hell, and Tony understood that he would have been nervous too, scared even to have his whole body change in a matter of minutes. He imagined it was going to be painful.  _ Very  _ painful.

The blue serum was injected into the blond and the vita-ray chamber was lifted up after Howard was signaled to do so. Tony glanced over at Peggy and noticed she also looked quite nervous, and Tony supposed he should be too. There was that off chance that the chamber didn’t do its job correctly, and they really would end up with a steaming pile of Steve Rogers. Tony hoped that wouldn’t happen, he didn’t want to be sent into a panic and cause his heat to come early or something. If only he could get his hands on some suppressor pills that were sometimes given out to omegas bonded to alpha soldiers.

The vita-ray chamber closed up, and Tony could hear Abraham talking to Steve through the chamber. Steve’s comment about going to the bathroom made a light chuckle flow through the observation room, though Peggy remained in a worried state.

“Calm down, Peggy,” Tony leaned over and said. “You’re going to make me start worry about the guy.” He smiled at her.

“Sorry, I guess I’m… he’s just so  _ small _ .” Peggy sighed and shifted in her chair. 

“Well if he’s anything like his profile says, I think he’ll be fine…” Tony wasn’t sure about his words, because there was the possibility of a malfunction hanging in the air.

The inside of the chamber began to glow, causing Tony to squint a little, but he kept looking. He heard his father call out percentages, and right after 70, a scream erupted from the chamber, causing both Tony and Peggy to jump up from their seats. They rushed to exit the observation room, stopping at the top of the stairs to look down at the chamber.

“Shut it down,” Peggy screamed, and both Howard and Abraham scrambled to shut the reactor down, then Steve called out.

“I can do this!”

Tony’s eyes went wide. It must have been painful in there, but whatever was happening was obviously worth it. He looked at Peggy, and Peggy looked at him, and a strange scent hit his nose. It smelled like a mix of chemicals and… something close to cinnamon but not quite. Some sort of spice, a musk, Tony even dared to think.

Tony barely heard his father call out 100% as he gripped the railing, his heart rate suddenly going up. He felt funny… Maybe he should have stayed inside the observation room. 

Sparks flew around the room, and a deep whirring noise seemed to rattle the whole building. Then everything stopped, the light inside the chamber went dark, and everyone held their breath as Abraham told Howard to open up the chamber. As soon as it was open, Tony understood why he felt funny. A rush of a fresh alpha scent bordering on  _ rut _ filled the room, making him involuntarily groan and grip the railing harder.

Peggy put her hand on Tony’s back briefly before she descended the stairs and hurried over to the chamber. Tony watched her, then noticed the flood of people coming out of the observation room, and he didn’t want to be caught in the middle of that. He hurried down the stairs and made his way over to Peggy and leaned heavily on her. He kept his eyes trained on the floor for a bit, trying to not be as dizzy before he looked up at Steve--and he proceeded to gasp.

Steve was now a whopping six feet, two inches and full of muscle. The man had certainly become a super soldier. He was sweating pretty hard, as well as breathing hard, but his eyes were locked onto Tony’s. There was an unspoken connection between them, the little beta now a huge  _ alpha  _ and emitting a scent that damn near any omega would go into heat for instantaneously. No wonder Tony didn’t feel very good.

The brunet shuddered and let a small groan slip, leaning on Peggy more and attempting to talk to her. “P-Peggy… I…”

“Dear god, Agent Carter get Anthony out of here!” Howard snapped as he handed Steve a shirt to put on. “Abraham, I thought this serum wasn’t supposed to  _ change  _ secondary gender.”

“It wasn’t, but… I suppose that’s a minor detail I passed over.” The older man shook his head. “Steven, how are you feeling?”

Steve looked at Abraham, catching his breath a little more before responding. “Taller... I… I don’t feel like a beta anymore.”

“Yes, well it seems the serum has made you an Alpha… or it could have been the vita-rays.” Abraham shrugged. “It  _ worked  _ though.”

“You made it work,” Howard said, finally smiling. 

As Tony was being whisked away, he briefly noticed a strange looking man take out a device from his pocket. He wasn’t sure what to think of it as his mind was not really all there with his pre-heat taking up most of this thinking capacity. When they passed by the man, Tony tried to gather his thoughts, piece together the puzzle. He noticed it looked like a lighter, but when the top of it was opened and he spotted the trigger underneath, all the air seemed to get sucked out of his chest. He knew a detonation device when he saw one. His eyes went wide as he tried to halt his walk back to the observation room, pushing the agent away from him. “Peggy, l-look out!”

Tony hardly heard the explosion when it happened. His ears were filled instantly with a painful ringing that disoriented him, as did the flash of light and the force of the explosion pushing him against the nearest wall. When he opened his eyes back up, he saw the observation room in flames, hot and large and fierce. He gasped at the sight, then looked around the chaos before him. People were scrambling around trying to find shelter, but from what he didn’t know. All he knew was that something bad was happening, something that wasn’t supposed to happen. 

Very muffled sounds caused him to look around in more detail. He thought he heard gunshots, but he couldn’t tell for sure. Smoke was starting to enter his lungs as the fire spread, and he had a moment of panic as he couldn’t see anyone close to him.

Tony was suddenly aware that he, an omega currently in pre-heat, was alone and vulnerable, until he suddenly had a gun barrel pointed at his head. He let out a distressed cry that caused Peggy, Howard, and Steve to all turn their heads towards him with wide eyes. The man holding him, the one who had caused the explosion, only pressed the gun harder against his temple, and for a moment Tony thought he might pass out from the fear he was suddenly in.

Tony didn’t have a chance to say anything as he was pulled out of the room and rushed away, now a hostage to the man who had blew up the observation room. His feet could barely keep up with the long strides of the man, the gun barrel keeping steady against his head. Behind him he could hear his father and Peggy calling out to the man, but the man never stopped, only sped up and was damn near sprinting, which was even harder for Tony to keep up with, considering the man was an alpha. Tony tried calling out to his father, letting out a screech in desperation. He fought and kicked, wanting to get out of the grip of the man, but he was still all too aware of the gun firmly pressing a bruise in the shape of the end of the barrel into his temple. Right before he thought about giving up his struggle, he was rewarded with a punch to the gut, one that knocked the wind out of him as he was dragged through the storefront that acted as a decoy for the lab below. He watched in horror as the older lady protecting the store grabbed a gun, then screamed in even more horror as he watched the poor woman get shot. He didn’t have more time to think as he was shoved out the front door and down onto the sidewalk, where his jaw cracked against the concrete.

Tony barely recovered from his fall before the man grabbed him again and shoved him into a nearby car. He struggled as much as he could, but in his pre-heat, he was weakening by the second, and he had no chance of escaping. The whole car smelled like old alpha and cigarette smoke, unpleasant scents that made Tony want to hurl.

Peggy and Howard exited the store right as the car sped off. Peggy pulled out a pistol and intended to shoot, but Howard quickly pulled the gun down.

“Are you insane?! You’re going to shoot my son!”

“I’m not going to shoot him!” Peggy moved out to the middle of the street and aimed for the back tire of the car, the bullet hitting its target and causing the car to spin out of control. It crashed into a car parked on the side of the road before backing up and speeding towards Peggy. She cocked the gun again and aimed, shooting at the driver and hitting her target once more.

Howard was nearly hysterical at that point as the car continued to barrel forward, Peggy not moving from her spot and trying to aim the gun at the man holding Tony hostage. She didn’t get the chance to shoot as Howard jumped out of the way and Steve jumped in, pulling her away before she got hit by the car.

“I had that!” Peggy huffed as she got to her feet and aimed her gun again, shooting the remaining working tires. The car swerved violently out of control and jumped over the edge of the sidewalk, crashing into a wedding dress store. She watched as the man holding Tony hostage pulled him out of the ruined car and hijacked a nearby taxi, pulling the driver out and shoving Tony in over to the passenger seat. 

Steve ran over to the ruined car,hoping to catch the man before he got away. Barely avoiding being hit by the now speeding taxi, he took chase, making a frustrated sound that he wasn’t able to reach the ruined car in time.

Inside the runaway taxi, Tony curled up in the passenger side seat, gun still pointed at him as they sped away. He shouldn’t have come with his father to work that day. He should have stayed home with his mother and drank tea. Safe and sound, he thought to himself as he glanced up at his kidnapper, then snapped his eyes back down and closed as his stomach knotted up. Stupid omegan needs, stupid omegan body! Tony cursed his body as he groaned and whined.

The man looked down at him briefly before looking in the rearview mirror and promptly stepping on the gas, causing the car to lurch forward with a roar. He was caught off guard by the man running after the car and keeping up the pace, maybe even catching up a little. He growled and pushed the pedal to the floor, dodging cars and people as he drove towards the river. He was so preoccupied with getting away that he jerked the steering wheel of the car when something landed on the top of it. He moved his gun from Tony’s head to the roof of the car and shot several times, then out of nowhere popped Steve at the side of the car right next to Tony, hanging on tight. The man shot at Steve, Tony just barely out of the way of the bullets before he screamed and braced for impact.

The taxi slammed into the front of a delivery truck sending it rolling and losing the passenger side door. Tony was jostled around and thrown out of the car rather roughly. He landed on his back and rolled for several feet before coming to a rest with a sigh. He whimpered in pain, almost certain he had a broken rib or two.

Before he had any more time to think, he was being hauled to his feet once more and being used as a human shield by his kidnapper. He whined at the pain he felt, being forced to walk, or stumble really, as the man shot at Steve, who was using one of the taxi’s doors as a shield. 

A group of bystanders nearby shuffled back in horror, one mother shielding her child just as the man reached them. The man already had his hands full with the omega, grabbing another hostage would just slow him down, so he pointed the gun at the bystanders and ran off onto the pier as fast as he could, nearly dragging Tony with him at that point.

Steve chased after, hiding behind walls when the man shot at him. At one point a bullet grazed his side, though it didn’t slow him down one bit. Steve needed to get Howard's son back, but he also needed to destroy the vial of serum that the man had stollen, which had been unknown until Abraham had told Steve in his dying breath. With Tony being a hostage, the whole situation was risky. One wrong move and Tony would have a bullet in his head. Steve approached carefully once they were at the pier, holding his hands up as the man turned around and walked backwards with the gun still pointing at Tony's head.

"Don't do this," Steve warned, taking slow steps towards the man.

The other alpha let out a snarl, causing Tony to whimper. He only kept backing up until they were at the edge of the pier. He glanced down at the water, then took off once again, dragging the omega with him until he reached a certain point and tossed Tony into the water. 

The omega hit his head on the submarine that the man jumped into. He let out a strangled noise before sinking below the surface of the water.

Panicking, Steve jumped into the water and grabbed Tony before he got too deep. He set the omega back up in the pier, safe for the moment as he dove back into the water and chased after the submarine. 

Tony lay still on the wood panels, swimming between passing out and staying awake as his head throbbed and his stomach twisted into more knots. Everything hurt, breathing hurt, moving hurt, even making little whimpers hurt. He wanted his parents, wanted to be safe in their arms and brush this all off as a bad dream. Of course he knew this was reality, and he was seriously injured after being in a car crash. He groaned, wincing as he did so. At least it was quiet. All the blaring alarms and loud cars and gunshots were over now. 

More noise. The sounds of someone grunting and landing hard on the pier, then someone getting out of the water. Tony opened his eyes to look, seeing Steve and the man duking it out, though the super soldier was easily the victor in this fist fight. He landed a kick to the other man’s gut, the vial of serum launching out of the man’s coat and shattering against the ground. Steve grabbed him roughly and spoke to him. 

Tony didn’t catch everything, but somehow he did hear the man hiss out “Hail Hydra,” in his dying breath. When Steve let go of the man, that was when Tony let himself slide into unconsciousness.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I HAD PLANNED ON POSTING THIS ON FRIDAY But life got in the way and I completely forgot Friday was posting day, so here's this chapter a few days late. Every chapter after this should come out on Fridays. -BWP

When Tony woke again, he was in the hospital. An IV drip was connected to his arm, and he was in the middle of his heat. He felt uncomfortable as all hell. Soaked clothes, a throbbing headache, and his side hurt from where his broken rib was. At least there was ice on it, but the compression bandages made it hard to breathe properly. He wanted them off, knowing they weren’t helping at all in the healing process. He looked around for a call button, or a nurse, or anyone nearby who could help him take off the compression bandages.

“Don’t move too much.”

The sudden voice startled Tony, and he jerked, causing him to cry out in pain. He took a moment to catch his breath before looking over at the person who had spoken. It was Peggy. 

“Jesus, Peggy, make some more noise next time…” He groaned low as he relaxed again.

“Sorry, you were starting to move quite a bit, and the doctor said to keep you lying still so your rib could heal.” She leaned forward and put a gentle hand on Tony’s upper arm. “You parents are here, they would like to see you. Think you have the energy for that?”

Tony shrugged weakly, looking quite tired. 

“They won’t be in for long,” Peggy promised as she stood up and exited the room.

Tony watched her leave before closing his eyes with a light sigh. He hated how he felt. He was in pain from his injury and his body craved an alpha to mate him. Quite possibly the second to worst situation he had ever been in, being held hostage by that man being the first.

Howard and Maria walked in, Maria looking like she had been crying for a while. Tony didn’t pay attention to that though, because as soon as he saw his mother, his own eyes grew wet and he attempted to reach his arms out and sit up, which of course caused him more pain.

"Anthony, please don't move," Maria said as she hurried over to the hospital bed, hugging him gently. "Oh god, I told you not to go with your father to work…"

"It's not anyone's fault," Tony croaked out. "No one knew what was going to happen."

"That's why I wanted you to stay home, dear…" Maria sighed, her hand resting on Tony's chest.

“It’s okay, Mom… Steve saved me.” Tony squeezed his eyes shut and shivered. Damn his heat…

“How are you feeling?” Howard asked in a soft tone that he rarely used.

“Hurt… want these bandages off.” Tony opened his eyes again and looked over at Peggy standing in the doorway. She understood the look he gave her, and she stepped out to find a nurse. 

“Just relax, Sweetie,” Maria said, sitting on the bed. “You don’t need to do anything right now.”

The omega closed his eyes as his mother’s comforting hand rubbed small circles on his chest. “I was scared, Mom… I couldn’t escape that man, and I was weaker than normal because I was going into heat…”

“Tony, don’t worry about it. The important thing is that you’re safe now and you’re healing.”

“Yeah, healing if I didn’t have these bandages on.” Tony grunted and grimaced, catching his breath as he struggled to breathe properly with the bandages on. 

Howard sighed as he crossed his arms. “If you had stayed home like we told you to, you wouldn’t be worrying about bandages around your chest. Besides, the doctors put those on, so they should be helping you.”

Sending a hard glare at his father, Tony shifted in the bed and whined a little, the pain in his side growing worse the more he moved. “You can’t feel... this pain right now. It fucking hurts!”

“Watch your mouth, boy,” Howard snapped back. “You’ll never find an alpha at this rate.”

“I don’t need an alpha anyways, because I’m going to make my own way into the world as soon as I can get away from you and your restricting house rules!” Tony cried out as he tried to be intimidating, leaning forward aggressively at his father.

“Boys, please,” Maria said in a raised voice, pushing her son back into the bed gently. “That’s quite enough. Howard, Tony is injured and in heat, can’t you let things go for once? He’s clearly not in proper shape to have this conversation.”

Howard grumbled as he left the room, hands shoved deep in his pockets.

The exasperated mother raised a hand to her forehead and sighed. “I’m sorry, Tony, I wish your father didn’t have to bring those topics up all the time, as if he doesn’t curse as well.”

Tony took a bit to respond, panting to catch his breath and groaning every couple seconds in pain. “Let him make his comments. They won’t matter when I make my own inventions and surpass him in a few years. I’ll be the most talked about then.”

“You need to heal up before you even think of tinkering again. Your rib won’t heal if you keep moving around like you normally do.”

It was then that Peggy poked her head back into the room, a few nurses behind her. “Pardon me, Mrs. Stark, but I believe your son will need some medical assistance.You’ll be able to see him more later when he is feeling more like himself.”

“Oh… of course,” Maria said as she stood back up, her hand lingering on her son before she pulled away. “We will… _ I _ will let the doctors do what they need to.” 

Once Maria was gone, Peggy, came back around to the side of Tony’s bed. “I told the doctors that the bandages wouldn’t be helping, but they didn’t listen. Thankfully these nurses are willing to help you feel more comfortable. You’re also on a liquid suppressant, so your heat isn’t as bad as it could have been.”

“I wasn’t due for another heat until next month,” Tony said, staring up at the ceiling. 

“We didn’t take into account that the procedure would turn Steve into an alpha, or that it would have an affect on you to suddenly have a fresh alpha scent fill the air.”

“It’s fine, I just… need to tough out my heat and focus on healing.” The brunet looked over at Peggy. “Who was that guy… the one that took me hostage?”

Peggy sighed. “He was an agent of Hydra, the Nazis’ scientific branch. Hydra is led by Johann Schmidt, a man whose power is based off of fantasy and legend. His goals are somewhat similar to Hitler’s, though we think Schmidt might be trying to break away from the Third Reich.”

“Sounds bad,” Tony said bluntly.

“To put it simply, yes. This super soldier project we are working on is similar to experiments Schmidt was working on. He didn’t use the serum correctly, but we figured out the correct way to use it, thanks to Doctor Erskine. That’s how we got Steve to turn into what he is now.”

“Where is Steve?”

Peggy narrowed her eyes a little. “Well, he’s here at the hospital. He wanted to see you as well, but I think that can wait until tomorrow.”

“No, I…” Tony paused and focused on breathing as a sharp pain rippled through his side. “I want to talk to him. You said I’m on suppressants, right?”

Peggy sighed. “Yes, I did. If you’re sure you feel up to seeing him… he can come in after the nurse is done.”

Tony nodded. “Okay, I just want these bandages off. They hurt.” 

A couple minutes later the nurse came in and asked what Tony needed, which he told her and said why he wanted the bandages off. The nurse nodded once Peggy agreed with Tony, and she left to grab a couple other nurses to help. Once they were in the room, Peggy stepped out and let the nurses do their jobs. They carefully helped Tony sit up and keep his arms elevated as they unwrapped his ribs. Soon the compression bandages were gone, and the ice was replaced and put back over the broken rib. Tony was laid back against the bed once more, and he let out a sigh, glad to have that little amount of pain gone.

Peggy, bless her soul, brought food for Tony to eat, mainly smooth foods like applesauce and mashed potatoes, before he was allowed to talk to Steve. She was just prolonging things, Tony knew. She wanted Tony to rest up more than anything, but Tony was a stubborn omega, to say the very least, and he knew he could get his way with Peggy.

“Alright, now don’t get too excited with Steve,” the agent warned with a playful smile. “I know how omegas can get when around a handsome alpha. You’re still weak and need the _ rest _.”

“Yeah, yeah. Always need the rest.” Tony smiled at Peggy. “Take the day off, get a cup of coffee, enjoy your free time, Agent.”

“If only I could, Mr. Stark,” Peggy replied as she left the room.

The omega laid in silence for a while, glancing around his room and noticing the bouquet of flowers sitting on the counter next to the sink. He couldn’t make out what the card said next to the vase, but he guessed they were from his mother.

A soft knock came on the door, and Tony tore his gaze from the flowers to the door. Steve was there, dressed up in his tan army dress clothes. Tony thought they looked almost too small on him now. “Hey,” Steve said softly. “Heard you were awake.”

Tony nodded. “You know, I thought I had a chance at becoming a good friend of yours, but that was before I realized you were going to become a freaking tree.”

Steve chuckled as he stepped inside. “Sorry, I guess I’m not such a little guy anymore. If it makes you feel any better, I’m not sure I like this transformation quite yet.”

“I guess I’ll be the only little guy again. That’s how it usually ends up. Have friends who are betas and are little guys, then they grow up and get big. Not as big as you… you got huge.” Tony cleared his throat and looked down at Steve’s hands. “What do you have?”

The blond looked down at the box in his hands. “Oh, I just brought some candy. I figured Peggy was going to try to feed you right while you healed, so I smuggled this in for you.”

“Wow, you actually have made my day.” Tony cracked a smile as best as he could while reaching an arm out to take the box.

Steve handed it to him and watched him open it. “It’s a bunch of assorted chocolates. I hear those are good snacks during heats.”

“They help make us feel better, yeah…” Tony popped one of the chocolates into his mouth and hummed happily as he closed his eyes. “Granted, they put me on liquid suppressants, but that hardly does shit when you’re already in heat. Really only works before or after one.”

“Oh, well I’m sorry to hear that. Do you normally take suppressants when you’re not in heat?”

Tony shook his head, swallowing the chocolate. “No one likes to give out suppressants to an unbonded omega. Kinda fucked, but that’s life.”

Steve bit his bottom lip. “You like to say what comes to mind, don’t you?”

Tony rolled his eyes. “Yeah, I’m an omega with a bad mouth. Sue me.”

“I wasn’t complaining,” Steve said quickly. “Just… making an observation.”

“Congratulations. You’re now an alpha who can make observations.”

Steve scoffed. “I keep forgetting I’m an alpha now. I don’t really… feel different mostly. I mean there were some obvious changes, but other than those, I feel the same… Okay maybe not exactly the same. I was really sick before the serum. Now I’m as healthy as a horse.”

“Built like a horse too.” Tony ate another chocolate.

Steve couldn’t really help the slight blush that crossed his cheeks. “I’m sorry about all that happened to you. I tried to save you sooner, but…”

“Thanks for saving me at all. I… I thought I was done for, honestly. Especially when that guy tossed me into the water and I hit my head.” Tony shifted his head to the side a little. “How long was I out for?”

“Maybe a couple hours? You woke up briefly when they put the IV in you, but you passed out again quickly. Doctors confirmed you had a concussion, so they’re going to work with you to manage your symptoms once you rest up some more.”

“Broken rib and a concussion. It’s been a hell of a day for me.”

“I could say the same, but I hardly went through the trauma that you did.” Steve reached forward and lightly touched the bruise at the side of Tony’s head where the gun had been.

Tony tensed up a bit. Steve’s movement send a whiff of his scent floating to the omega’s nose. He shivered and grunted lightly. The liquid suppressants weren’t really doing their job properly with a newly presenting alpha standing right next to the omega in heat.

Steve, feeling Tony tense up, pulled his hand away quickly. “Sorry… I think I need to get used to being an alpha before I try touching you again.”

“Y-yeah,” Tony said shakily. He looked up at the heart monitor when it beeped, indicating that Tony’s heart rate went up rather dramatically. “Damn it… Can you, uh… leave me alone for a bit?”

Steve nodded in understanding, feeling a bit stupid. “Yeah, I’ll leave. Ah… I hope you like your chocolates.” He turned and left the room, face red as he left.

When the door closed, Tony let out a huge whine, shifting awkwardly as his gut twisted up. Damn his omegan body.

* * *

“As of today, the SSR is being retasked.” 

“Colonel?” Peggy tilted her head in the briefing room as Colonel Phillips filled in the situation to some of the agents and local political figures. Steve was right behind her, glancing around the room and seeing Howard working on the submarine that the Hydra agent had attempted to escape in.

“We are taking the fight to Hydra,” Phillips replied. “Pack your bags, Agent Carter. You too, Stark. We fly to London tonight.”

Steve looked at Peggy, then back at the colonel. “Sir, if you’re going after Schmidt, I want in.”

“You’re an experiment, you’re staying here.”

The blond scoffed. “But the serum worked.”

“I asked for an army and all I got was you.” Colonel Phillips pursed his lips together. “You are not enough.”

Over by the submarine, Howard sighed and set his wrench to the side. He looked up at his son, who was sitting on the metal grate beside him, and grabbed the sandwich he was offered for lunch. 

“Sounds like you’re leaving again,” Tony said, taking a bite of his own sandwich while looking over at Steve. It had been a few days since the omega had been released from the hospital, and he was finally out of his heat and back to his normal self. His rib was still healing, but he had the ice pack the hospital sent home with him tapped down to his side.

“Yeah, your mother won’t be happy, but I can’t help it.” Howard shook his head as he ate. “This whole Hydra business isn’t what I thought I’d be working on when I signed up to help the SSR.”

“If you don’t want to work on it, I will.”

“No, you’re staying here with your mother.”

Tony sighed and stood up, struggling a little with a grunt. He looked back at Steve just in time to see him shake hands with a man. He caught the end of the conversation.

“Congratulations, you’ve just been promoted.”

Curious, Tony shuffled his way over to Peggy and Steve just as the man left. “What’s going on?”

“Hello again, Tony,” Peggy greeted with a smile. “It seems that Steve just got a job offer of sorts.”

“A job? I heard something about a promotion, not a new job.”

“It’s a way I can serve the country like I wanted to,” Steve explained. “I can do my part here while they go over to London.”

“Why don’t you just go to London? It’s what you wanted to do, right?”

“It’s not that simple, unfortunately.” Peggy sighed as he brushed her bangs out of her face. “I’m afraid this assignment is a more permanent one, and it won’t be one to return from for a while.”

Steve nodded. “My new job could possibly get me to London eventually, so I’m willing to do it. I’ll get over seas, just not as fast as Peggy will.”

“So you’re staying here in the United States for now,” Tony asked.

“Yeah, looks like it.” 

“Tony,” Howard’s voice drifted over. “We’re leaving soon, get ready to go.”

The omega sighed and looked at the floor. “When Dad is off to London, I’m coming with you, Steve. I want involved in this too. I can do the same things my dad does, but he wants me home to be a good omega, like I should be.”

“Tony, if I end up going overseas and you come with me, you’ll be put behind enemy lines most likely.”

“So? Just because I’m an omega, that doesn’t mean I don’t have the ability to take care of myself. And don’t use the day you went super soldier as an example. I was in pre-heat, I wasn’t at my full strength.”

Steve smiled. “I wasn’t saying you couldn’t go. I still believe in the little guys fighting. I’m just telling you that you’ll be in enemy territory. Plus you’ll be around a… lot of alphas. The army is basically all alphas.”

“If one smacks my ass, I’ll smack their face with my fist, simple as that.” Tony shrugged, then groaned as his father called his name again. “Don’t start that new job without me, soldier.” He smirked as he took a bite of his sandwich, then turned to leave with his father.

“He’s going to get himself hurt one of these days,” Peggy said with an exhausted tone.

“I think he’ll be fine,” Steve said with a smile. “I believe in him.”

“You just think he’s cute now.” Peggy smirked knowingly at the blond, patting his back as she left. 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Steve’s face was bright red.

“Steven Rogers, you are falling quite nicely into the roll of an alpha already. Just don’t drive the omega you like away. He’ll never fall for you if you act like any other army alpha.” Peggy patted his back as she left. “I’m going to pack my bags. See you in Europe.”

Steve sighed as he was left alone. Sure, he thought Tony was cute. He was small and sassy; how was that not cute? Then he thought how he never really thought about any omega like this before when he was just a beta. That serum changed a lot more about him than he originally thought. Not that it was all bad. He actually had physical and emotional changes when around omegas and alphas, which was an odd sensation he had never experienced before but rather liked. 

The blond finally left the briefing room, thinking about his future and how his country was going to change in the next few months.

* * *

“You’re a glorified Rockette, Steve. Those tights aren’t a good look for you.”

Sighing heavily, Tony readjusted his suspenders that kept his pants up, shoving his hands in his pockets as he looked up at the tall blond. “You’d think they’d give you better pants than tights.”

“I’m sorry they didn’t have a better fashion sense, Tony, but this is what I have to work with. I can get someone to change the outfit, but I doubt they’d make one as good as you.” Steve looked down at Tony, honestly looking uncomfortable as he waited for his cue to go on stage.

“Don’t you dare let anyone but me redesign your suit. It’ll look horrible otherwise.” Tony smirked as he took a drink of his coffee.

“I wouldn’t dream of it. Your fashion sense is honestly better than mine ever will be.”

“That’s because your a soldier and I’m not.”

“That’s not a valid reason, and I’m not technically a soldier anyways.”

Tony shrugged. “You’re still not letting anyone else redesign your suit. Which, by the way, is it too early for me to start doing that? Because if I have to see this suit one more time on you, I’m going to barf.”

Steve chuckled, hearing the music swell along with his cue to go on. “You’ll have to see it on me a couple more times before I move on to the next one. The media likes how I look right now, so it’s sticking.”

“It’s still hideous,” Tony said, moving to the side so Steve could run on stage and start his little dancing performance.

As Tony sat backstage, he listened to every rehearsed line that Steve said, closing his eyes and simply listening to his voice. Every performance was exactly the same, but each time, Steve got a little better at saying his lines. With each new performance, there had been more and more stunts performed. Tony liked to peek every once in a while, but seeing the dumb costume always made him turn away after more than five minutes. Still… he always had to take a peek when Steve was lifting things. Steve was an alpha showing off, and it was attractive as _ hell _. Tony found himself staring when the alpha was changing out of his costume.

Tony shook his head and stood up, hearing the part of the song where Steve would lift up a girl on each of his shoulders. He looked through the curtains and watched. Secretly he wished he was on one of those broad shoulders, but he would never be caught wearing those outfits the dancers wore. Not that they weren't in good fashion, but Tony was not about the skirts and tube tops. He much preferred button up shirts and suspenders. He clearly wasn't a typical omega, nor did he ever plan to be, and it seemed that Steve didn't seem to care about that, luckily for Tony. He could be the omega he had always been, and Steve would accept him just the way he was.

Tony's eyes widened. Was he really thinking about that? Thinking of being bonded to Steve?

"Holy shit," he whispered to himself as he backed away from the curtain. Okay, so Tony had a _ huge _ crush on Steve. _ Perfectly _ normal, _ classic _story of an alpha and an omega. This was how most of those stories went. The omega sees an alpha and falls in love, the alpha slowly realizes that and finally accepts the omega and they have wonderful and magical sex together.

Tony scoffed at himself. He had bigger things to worry about than if he would end up bonded to Steve or not. Like the stupid Captain America outfit. And how he was going to explain to his father that he ended up going to Europe with the alpha he had helped create. And what it was going to be like in a camp full of alphas, then what would happen if Tony went into heat while over there and he didn't have an alpha to protect him from the others. What it might feel like to be surrounded by a pack of alphas all growling and snapping, wanting to get a taste of him.

That thought made Tony shiver. It wasn't a pleasant thought at all. _ Just focus on the costume _ , he told himself. Everything else didn't matter until something happened. He was _ safe _now, plus he was travelling with a trusted alpha, so it wasn't like he was alone and without protection.

Tony got up and moved away from backstage to splash some water on his face. War was stressful for everyone, but seemed especially stressful for those who were directly involved in it. Tony didn't _ consider _himself directly involved, but he kind of was. His father was over in Europe trying to take the fight to Hydra, Peggy was doing the same thing, and Steve was here acting like a war hero for war bonds. Three major people in his life were directly involved in the war, and he wanted so bad to be involved as well. Help his dad build something, help Peggy track down targets, help Mr. Captain America himself punch Nazis in the face. Just doing his part to help in the war! It wasn't helping his peace of mind, but at least he was around one of his closest friends now.

The brunet winced slightly as he moved his torso the wrong way. His rib was nearly halfway healed, and occasionally he'd get headaches, but those weren't nearly as bad as his rib pain. He kept ice on it a lot. Most of his shirts had creased a certain way because of the ice packs he wore. They were going to look weird when he was healed fully. Or maybe he could just get new shirts. His mother would probably love a shopping trip sometime soon.

Maybe Steve could go too. Tony would get approval of some outfits perhaps, and maybe they could slip into a changing room and try on some of the outfits. Maria would have a _ riot _ if she knew what would _ really _happen in the changing room.

Tony didn't know how long he had been standing at the mirror in the bathroom, nor did he remember when he even got there. But the next thing he knew, a large hand rested on his shoulder and startled him, making him jump forward and slam his face into the mirror with a yelp.

"Oh gosh, are you alright Tony?" Steve took his hand back quickly with a panicked tone to his voice.

Tony rubbed his face with a groan and turned to look at the alpha. "Yeah, god that hurt." He rubbed his nose gingerly.

"Sorry, I thought you heard me call your name. I should have knocked or cleared my throat or something." Steve rubbed the back of his neck. "Sorry…"

"It's fine, Steve, I was just lost in thought. It's not your fault." The omega pushed away from the mirror to look up at Steve. "Did your show go well like normal?"

Steve nodded. "Yeah, everything went good. Crowd loved when I lifted the girls on my shoulders."

"I saw that. Looked like fun." Tony smiled. "So, if you're done for the night, let's get you changed and go out for dinner somewhere before calling it a night."

"Sounds good. I think I saw an A&W nearby, does that sound good?”

“Greasy cheeseburgers and root beer? Sign me the hell up.”

Steve chuckled. “Alright, let me get my clothes and change, then I’ll be ready to go.”

The blond didn’t take long, knowing how much Tony loved cheeseburgers and knowing how hungry the both of them were after only having a light lunch. He was in and out of the changing room in a flash, sporting his tan army dress shirt, pants and tie. Tony wasn’t too fond of the outfit, but they got respect wherever they went because of the outfit, so it was good for something at least.

Tony excitedly jumped into the car when they were out back of the theater Steve had just performed in. Tony had wanted to drive so bad, but he never was allowed to because of his father believing in the ways of old. Besides, it was illegal for omegas to drive, vote, or even buy alcohol without the consent of an alpha, and even then, the alpha did all the work anyways, so really the omegas couldn’t do anything but watch their alphas do things for them. Unless, of course, it was house-keeping or raising the family, by which the omega was always responsible. Not things Tony really ever wanted to do.

Steve got into the driver’s seat and started up the car. “Want to pick the music we listen to?” he asked Tony once they got onto the road. 

“Really? You’ll let me do that?”

“Of course, why not? I won’t complain or change the station if I hear something I don’t like.” Steve gestured to the radio. “You’re in charge, Mr. Stark.”

Tony’s eyes lit up and a smile graced his face as he reached for the dial and turned on the radio. The voice of Louis Armstrong filled the car as they drove into the darkening day, rain clouds in the distance. The omega sat back in his seat as he listened to the music, the smile on his face staying as he watched buildings go by.He felt a peace after having freaked out in the theater bathroom. There was no war, it was just him and Steve driving to get some burgers and relax for the rest of the night.

They eventually pulled into the parking lot of the A&W, the music cutting off when Steve turned the car off. He hurried out and around the car before Tony had a chance to unbuckle his seatbelt, and Tony had to admit that he blushed a little when the alpha opened up the door for him.

“Thank you,” Tony said in a small voice, smiling perhaps too wide at the alpha.

“It’s the least I can do after scaring you so bad you smacked your face into a mirror.” Steve held his hand out for Tony to take.

“You did scare me pretty good,” the omega said as he took Steve’s hand and let himself be helped out of the car. “You owe me more than just opening a car door for me and helping me out.”

Steve shut the door after Tony was out and shrugged. “I can buy you dinner.”

“I mean I half expected that to happen anyways, since you were being such a gentleman.”

“I could even go as far as calling this a first date if you found that appealing.”

Tony blushed hard. He was glad it was darker out so Steve couldn’t see how red his face was. “I… I think I’d like that a lot…”

“Well then, Mr. Stark. Care to join me on this first date of cheeseburgers and root beer?”

“I’d love to, Captain.” Tony smiled as they headed inside the restaurant. He dared to lean in close to the alpha, sticking to his side to make it clear he was taken at least for the night.

After the two claimed a booth and had their orders taken, they settled against the windows next to where they were sitting. Tony stared out the window at the rain clouds, Steve stared at Tony. They were silent, each having their own thoughts on their minds as they waited for food. Steve was the one to break the silence finally, clearing his throat before he spoke.

"Looks like it might rain."

Tony nodded. Too bad I don't have an umbrella with me. My clothes are going to get soaked."

Steve shrugged. "I've got my coat in the car, I could bring it out before it starts raining."

"Nah, I'll be fine. A little rain never hurt anyone. Except the wicked witch of the West, of course."

Steve chuckled. "Didn't know your were into movies." 

"Love them." Tony smiled. "Have you seen any of those Disney movies? I have a feeling that they're going to take off like crazy."

"I saw the one about the puppet with the growing nose. Haven't seen any other of Disney's movies, but I agree, I think they're going to get really popular."

"If we can ever get past this war."

Steve nodded with a hum. “I’m sure our boys over in Europe will do their job. I’ve got a friend over there right now, James Barnes. We’ve been best friends since we were kids basically. He went off to war before I even knew about the serum. I made him promise not to win the war before I got there…”

“Even before the serum you wanted to fight?”

“I didn’t want to _ fight _, I wanted to put an end to the bullies. Joining the army and fighting in the war was the only way I could see me achieving my goal.”

Tony sat back. “I see. You really are still a little guy at heart.”

“I tried not to let all the muscles and fame go to my head.” Steve smiled, then he looked down at the table, fidgeting with his hands. There was something he needed to talk about, but he wasn’t sure if it was the right time to do so.

Tony noticed the nervous ticks, and he reached out to still Steve’s hands. “Something’s on your mind.”

“Yeah, there is…”

A pause. “You shouldn’t hold it in.” Tony said.

Steve sighed and looked back at Tony. “Our next show is in Philadelphia, then New York City after that.”

“Okay, that’s not really something to be worried about. What’s got you worked up?”

Steve hesitated before he answered. “Europe.”

The omega tilted his head to the side. “Europe…”

“I’m going to Europe after New York. They want me and the girls to perform for some of the soldiers over in Italy.”

Tony’s mind halted for a second. There was a hint of something in Steve’s voice that he didn’t like. His stomach tightened up in anxiety. _ I’m going to Europe after New York. _ Something about that… it didn’t feel right. Almost as if Steve was wanting to go to Europe… _ alone _.

“They want you to go to Italy? Like, right next to enemy lines basically?”

Steve nodded, seeming to choose his next words carefully. “Yeah. I didn’t know if I wanted you to come with me or not. I’m still not sure, really. It’s going to be dangerous, even for me.”

The brunet blinked. His heart started beating even faster. Was Steve really suggesting what Tony thought he was suggesting? Did Steve really want to go to Italy alone? Was that really an option he was considering while on a freaking _ date _? Was Steve just… playing him? Acting all nice and polite because he was Tony Stark and making him upset was going to get Steve in trouble with Howard? Was everything that had happened since they met just an act Steve put on?

Tony started shaking, feeling light headed. "W-what?"

"It'll be close to enemy lines," Steve explained. "Anyone that close is in danger. So I'm not sure if I want you to come with me."

Tony’s heart raced in his chest. No, there was no way Steve was actually suggesting this. Not after being so nice with him while on tour, not with him literally asking to go on a date while they were in the parking lot. Steve was saying he wanted to leave Tony in the United States while he went over to entertain other alphas that needed a pick-me-up. Not that there was anything wrong with the performing, but Steve was _ leaving Tony behind. _ Steve _ wanted _to leave him behind. Their relationship had been building up to this disappointing moment where Steve was going to dump him at the airport before he left for Italy, and Tony couldn’t help but feel like he was suddenly going to pass out.

Steve was leaving Tony behind. Steve didn’t like Tony the way Tony liked Steve. Steve was just being a gentleman because if he didn’t he’d have the wrath of Howard Stark upon him. Steve didn’t want Tony.

_ Steve didn’t want Tony. _

The alpha was rejecting the omega.

Hot tears prickled at the corners of Tony’s eyes. There was a pause, then Tony's eyebrows lowered.

“I...I don’t understand… You ask me on a date, act all gentlemanly to me...and then you tell me you might not want me to come with you to Europe? Are you really telling me this?”

Steve looked confused. “Tony, that’s not how I meant that to come out.”

Tony leaned forward heavily, his arms almost slamming onto the table. “Oh, it’s not? You didn’t want to take me on dates and butter me up just to dump me before you head to Europe to dance around stage with one of the girls that travel with you?”

“I’m not going to _ dump _you, Tony. You misinterpret what I wanted to suggest.” Steve reached out to grab Tony’s arm, but the omega smacked it away.

“Really, Steve? You’re saying I’m misinterpreting the way you’re telling me you might leave me here in the US while you go overseas where there are other omegas out there who would _ love _ to have you? Are you _ insane _?!”

Steve sat back. “I’m not leaving you for another omega.”

“Right, you want to be with your childhood friend then. You’ve been a beta all your life and your probably alpha friend was attractive to you and you’ve always wanted him, not me. You never wanted me.”

“Tony…”

“Don’t. I get it. You’re an _ alpha _ now and you act just like one. Typical. I was _ stupid _for thinking I had found an alpha that might take my interest. Glad to find out I was wrong.” Tony huffed and looked out the window again. The rain clouds were darker now and looked more like storm clouds.

Steve didn’t get a chance to respond as their food and drinks arrived. He thanked the waitress and looked back at Tony before grabbing his food and starting to eat. Better to not say anything and make things worse. He sighed after taking a few bites, noticing Tony hadn’t even touched one cheeseburger yet. The alpha swallowed the bite he had in his mouth. No, he wasn’t going to say anything. He wasn’t going to do anything at all. He would keep eating and let Tony do what he wanted in his own time.

By the time Steve had finished, Tony still had not eaten a single bite, and it made the alpha sink a little. He had wanted this night to be nice for the both of them, but instead he had opened his mouth and said things he shouldn’t have. Tony thought that he was dumping him, for crying out loud. Tony thought Steve didn’t like him, which was a flat out lie. Steve had honestly liked Tony ever since they met. Even when he was still a beta, the blond had found Tony to be an attractive omega. Of course he hadn’t said anything before, because what omega wants a scrawny beta as a partner? But now… After his change into an alpha, his attraction to Tony just intensified; it was actually possible that he’d have a chance. 

Rain was falling at a steady pace outside, the storm clouds rolling in fast the longer they sat in the restaurant. Steve got up and paid for their food before returning to the booth and grabbing the food Tony did not eat. “Are you ready to go?”

That was when he noticed the tears rolling down the omega’s face. He sighed and let his shoulder’s drop. “I’m sorry, Tony… I didn’t mean…”

“Just shut up,” Tony snapped as he jumped out of the booth and ran outside.

A pang of guilt rose in Steve’s chest as he watched Tony leave. He pocketed the burgers before taking after him, although more at a brisk walk than a run. He saw Tony run past their car and down the drenched sidewalk. Sighing, he started jogging to catch up, which he caught up fairly easily. “Tony, please stop.” He reached out and grabbed the omega’s arm, pulling him to a full stop.

“Let go of me!” Tony shouted.

Steve did so immediately and stood back.

Stunned that Steve had actually let him go, Tony scoffed, then his face crumpled up into a sob and he buried it in his hands. He couldn’t believe Steve didn’t want him. Showing all his kindness and flirting every once in a while, taking him out on a date after one of his shows. How could Steve do all of this, and then break it to Tony that he didn’t want to take the omega with him to Italy? It just didn’t make sense in his mind. Tony ran over the information too many times to count in his head, and each time came with the same confusion and sadness. The math didn’t add up. Steve plus acting like a proper alpha towards Tony equals dumping him before going to Italy. In what universe did that math ever work out?

There was silence between them once more. Only the sounds of rain, passing cars, and Tony’s sobs filled the air as the omega processed everything. He was a man of science and math, and yet relationships confused the hell out of him because of this one faulty equation Steve had given him. How the hell was Tony supposed to be okay with this alpha, who had acted like he liked him, suddenly leaving without a second thought as to how this would affect the omega? Steve even knew from the start Tony had wanted to go with him to Europe!

It took a bit for Tony to calm down enough to gather his thoughts and speak his mind.

“You idiot… you can’t leave me here. Not after you took me on a date and paid for my food and you were such a nice guy to me. It doesn’t make sense! You leaving me after taking such good care of me and making me happy, for god’s sake. Why would you ever think it was a good idea to leave me after all you’ve done?”

The blond was quiet, letting the rain fill the silence as he stared back at Tony.

“What, are you not even going to say anything, you stupid alpha?”

Tony didn’t have time to react at what came next. Steve was suddenly right in front of him and capturing his lips in a long and gentle kiss, strong hands cupping his face with a cautious strength that made Tony whine and cry new tears.

After a while, Steve pulled away, keeping his hands on Tony’s face. “I couldn’t leave you behind, Tony. Not in a million years. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to leave you or take you with me because I care about you a lot. I don’t want to see you get hurt, or worse, while in Europe.”

“You can’t leave me,” Tony whispered, closing his eyes and crying silently. “Not after you kissed me…”

“I won’t be leaving you, Tony. That’s a promise, and I intend to keep it.” The blond pulled Tony in tight for a hug and simply held him, placing a hand at the back of the omega’s head. “I’m still going to Europe, but I’m not leaving you behind. You matter too much to me now for me to leave you. I realize that now.”

Hearing those words made Tony cry harder. Steve actually wanted him, and he wanted Steve. Their need for each other grew by the day, and with the war raging on, they needed each other more than they realized. Both had been underdogs, stuck in the shadows of others while they looked on in hope, wishing to do their part and help. Two underdogs coming together as alpha and omega, it was almost like the perfect love story. The realization struck Tony deep in his heart, and he seemed to melt into Steve’s hold on him. Finally, the crazy equation made sense. This made sense. Being with Steve and going where he went made so much sense.

Steve plus acting like a proper alpha plus Tony realizing he had overthought things equals the two of them going to Italy together as alpha and omega.

“You’re a stupid alpha,” Tony said after his crying had settled once more. “This is why we shouldn’t make more super soldiers like you. They’d all turn into stupid alphas.”

“I suppose there’s a reason why I was born a beta in the first place.”

Tony gave a little half-laugh at that. “Maybe you’d still be stupid if you were a beta. Can’t change a personality, even if you turn the person into an alpha.”

Steve smiled and pulled back slightly, lifting Tony’s head. “Let’s get back to the hotel. You can take a shower and eat and rest. If your burgers aren’t soggy. Your stupid alpha would like to make up for the mistake he made today.”

Tony smiled and buried his face in Steve’s chest. He didn't know how he did it, but somehow he had scored a stupidly romantic alpha.


	3. Chapter 3

Italy was not as nice as Tony or Steve had hoped. Sure, the views were nice and all, and the weather wasn’t too bad in November, but the performances sure fell flat when they were in front of the men fighting for their country. Tony couldn’t say how many times he had been hit on by the soldiers since he and Steve arrived at the camp. It seemed the soldiers were far more interested in beta girls and omegas than watching a man dressed in tights ask them if they wanted to help him sock ol’ Adolf in the jaw.

On top of the soldiers preferring omegas over Captain America, Tony could feel his body preparing for heat. He was spending his first heat away from home, outside of the US even. He was glad he had Steve with him, but at the same time, it was honestly scary. Tony had packed some of the basic things he would need, knowing his heat would happen while in Europe. He just hadn’t expected it so soon. They had barely been in Italy for a week before his body started to ache in his stomach and a bit in his chest. He really wished that he had some suppressant pills, but his father had never let him get any, and his mother was unsure of them, since they were a fairly new revolution in the medical world. After all, why would any omega want to put a stop to the suffering of heats every cycle?

When they arrived at the camp they were performing at, Tony almost instantly felt hundreds of eyes watching him. They knew he was an omega, any alpha could tell he was, but he hoped they were decent enough to leave him alone as his body started shifting over to needs that he himself didn't want but his body couldn't help but crave. If only they could get a tent or something else to themselves. Tony really didn’t want to be around any alphas when he went into heat.

He didn’t have to worry about that much during the performance, however, because their crowd looked very uninterested in what Steve had to say, unless the girls were dancing behind him and showing off tasteful amounts of leg. Tony stepped aside as the girls exited the stage, telling them they did a good job while looking back out, watching Steve struggle to engage the audience. He sighed and leaned against one of the support posts of the stage. The poor alpha was doing his best, but the soldiers ended up calling him names, one even mooning him with their bare ass, which Tony did not find attractive at all. These alphas had no idea how to act around anyone but other alphas or girls and omegas who wanted to show off and look enticing for them.

Tony sighed as he watched Steve turn and exit the stage, grunting a little as the pain in his rib returned briefly. He was glad it was healed all the way, but every once in a while, if he made a wrong move, his side would hurt for a brief period of time. As the alpha passed him, he didn’t try to say anything or touch him. He looked upset enough already. Maybe after getting out of his costume, which was still stupid looking, Steve would feel a little better.

Tony followed Steve, like a duckling following its mother. He was silent, his hands in his pockets as he looked up at the sky. More rain… just what they needed. Add more gloom onto the already gloomy day in Italy. 

Steve threw on some more comfortable clothes over his costume just as the rain began to fall. Thankfully they were under cover when he found a place to sit and just draw. Tony had only learned recently that Steve could draw, and whenever the alpha had found time to do so, Tony would sit and watch. He could draw too, he needed to when he was designing new projects and such, but when Steve drew, it was graceful and almost poetic. Tony liked watching Steve draw far better than drawing himself. 

Maybe he'd ask Steve one day to draw him.

As the rain poured and Steve drew, Tony leaned against the alpha, closing his eyes and taking in the blond's scent. It was calming as his heat approached. Any day now it would happen, a short period of pre-heat happening, warning him that he had roughly an hour to prepare before he would basically lose himself to his needs. Tony hated it honestly. Then again, so did most modern omegas. None of them ever said they always looked forward to their heats, even if they were wanting families or just wanted to have a good time with their alphas. Heats sucked, plain as that.

Tony sighed and nuzzled Steve's arm lightly. Since their A&W date, the two had explored their relationship a bit. Really they were still in their courting phase, but Tony felt like that was coming to a close, especially since his next heat was due so soon. Steve might be willing to join Tony for their first heat together. Sighing Tony turned his head and pressed a small kiss to Steve's shoulder, looking down at what the alpha had drawn.

Tony frowned. "You know you're more than just a dancing monkey, Steve," he said softly.

"Doesn't feel like it some days." Steve set down his pencil, looking down at Tony. "At least I'm not back in a lab, sitting while scientists take samples of my blood all day long."

"You know… these aren't your only two options. Dancing money, lab rat, none of that is really you. You're called a super soldier for a reason, so I'm pretty sure that means you were made for more than this."

Steve closed his sketchbook and set it to the side. "Before the serum, I wanted so bad to join the army and do my part. I dreamed about coming over seas, being on the front lines, serving my country. Finally got what I wanted… and here I am wearing tights.”

“I still need to make you a better costume. The one you continue to wear, despite my complaining, is still a monstrosity. Besides, if you’re ever going to go into actual combat, that costume wouldn’t keep you safe for two seconds.” Tony reached over Steve’s lap and grabbed the sketchbook, turning to a blank page and starting to sketch a design.

“At this point I’m not so sure I’ll ever be fighting.” The blond kept his eyes on the sketchbook, watching in silence until Tony set down the pencil and looked at his very rough sketch.

“I’m going to make sure you get out there fighting, if that’s what you want, of course. But this uniform will be so much better than the clown costume you wear. More comfortable too. I’ve seen how you pick at it when it gets into cracks it’s not supposed to be.” Tony smirked.

Steve flushed a little. “You’re not wrong about it being uncomfortable.” he sighed and looked out at the rain, his little smile and blush going away after a bit.

“Hey.” Tony nudged Steve’s arm with his shoulder. “It’ll be okay. The war will end eventually, and you’ll have your friends back, plus… an omega to keep by your side if you’d like.”

At those words, Steve looked back down at Tony, eyes locking onto the omega’s. If only there was a bit of sunlight coming through the clouds, Tony’s eyes would light up such a beautiful golden color. Steve wanted to see that, to see Tony shining like the sun, happy and bright, eyes lit up and a smile on his face. Steve wanted to see that more than anything else, he realized. He also realized how close their faces actually were, and how easily he could just lean in and kiss Tony. They were away from prying eyes, the moment was right. He leaned in closer, and so did Tony, those bright brown eyes wide as he also realized what was happening. Then Tony’s eyes were closing, and so were Steve’s and they were almost touching, almost kissing.

“Hello, boys.”

Tony pulled away quickly, eyes wide as he looked at who had greeted them. A wide smile came across his face. “Peggy!”

“Hi.” The agent smiled as she folded up her coat in her arms.

“What are you doing here,” Steve asked. “I thought you were up in London.”

"Officially, I'm not here at all." Peggy sat down and looked at the two men. "That was quite a performance, Steve."

"Yeah, had to improvise a little bit. The crowds I’m used to are a little more, uh...twelve."

"I understand you’re America's new hope."

Steve shrugged. "Bond sales take a ten percent bump in every state I visit."

"Well, at least you're out here where you wanted to be in the first place. It's not so glamorous, but war never is."

A medical jeep pulled up to the tent nearby, soldiers barking orders and hurrying to pull the wounded men out. Tony, Steve, and Peggy all looked in silence. Tony leaned into Steve, grabbing hold of his jacket. He’d not seen a man that badly wounded before that close. 

“They look like they’ve been through hell,” he said, almost in a whisper. He closed his eyes when Steve wrapped an arm around him.

“These men more than most,” Peggy said, turning to look back at the two. “Schmidt sent out a force to Azzano. Two-hundred men went up against him, and less that fifty returned.”

Steve looked down at the ground, holding Tony closer.

“Your audience contained what was left the of the 107th. The rest were killed or captured.”

The blond’s head suddenly shot up, the infantry’s name catching his interest. “The 107th?”

Tony looked up at Steve, suddenly concerned. “What?”

Tony didn’t get an answer, only being forced to scramble to the side as Steve stood up, pocketing his sketchbook. He ran out into the rain, heading towards the tent he knew Colonel Phillips was.

“Steve, wait,” Peggy called out, standing up and grabbing her coat, then grabbing Tony’s hand.

“Come on!” Steve sidestepped a couple feet to let the other two catch up to him.

Tony and Peggy found out very quickly just how fast Steve could jog. They had a hard time keeping up as they ran to the colonel’s tent, and they were honestly a little out of breath by the time they got there. Steve however seemed to have not even broken a sweat.

"Colonel Phillips," the blond greeted as he came to a stop in front of the man's desk.

“Well, if it isn’t the star spangled man with a plan,” the older man said, not looking too impressed that Steve, Peggy, and Tony had all come to his tent, let alone even be in Italy. “What is your plan today?”

“I need the casualty list from Azzano,” Steve said sternly.

“You don’t get to give me orders, son.”

“I just need one name, Sergeant James Barnes from the 107th.”

Tony’s eyes widened as Phillips raised his pen to point at Peggy.

“You and I are going to have a conversation later that you won’t enjoy,” Phillips said in a bored tone, clearly fed up with the way Steve was talking to him.

“Please tell me he’s alive, Sir,” Steve nearly begged. “B-A-R--”

“I can spell.”

Silence fell amongst the four, the rain and distant shouting men the only sound reaching their ears. Tony felt the need to move closer to Steve and cling to his jacket, the tension in the air thick enough to almost make him whine. Didn’t help that his heat was due soon anyways.

Phillips looked down at the paper he was signing, then sighed and picked it up, carrying it with him as he stepped away from his desk. “I signed more of these condolence letters today than I would care to count… but the name does sound familiar. I’m sorry.”

Steve’s shoulders noticeably fell. Tony and Peggy could only see his back, but his whole body language changed in mere seconds. The omega stepped forward and put his hand on Steve’s arm, offering any amount of comfort he could. Hearing the news that his best friend had died was very hard on the young alpha. Then suddenly his shoulders lifted again, blue eyes piercing as he looked at Phillips.

“What about the others? Are you planning a rescue mission?”

“Yeah, it’s called winning a war,” the colonel said, placing his hands on his hips.

Steve had a moment where he stared at the older man. “But if you know where they are, why not at least--”

“They’re 30 miles behind the lines, through some of the most heavily fortified territory in Europe,” Phillips interrupted. “We’d lose more men than we’d save, but I don’t expect you to understand that because you’re a chorus girl.”

Those words made Steve tense up, Tony could feel it through the light coat he wore. There was a lot of alpha tension in the air that Tony really didn’t like, and this time he let out the whine he realized he had been holding in. He didn’t like how Steve was called a chorus girl, but Steve especially didn’t like it. Phillips had been supportive of the super soldier project after all, up until he decided that one super soldier wasn’t enough for his precious army. Steve had a lot of potential, he just wasn’t ever given the chance to prove so.

“I think I understand just fine,” Steve said, straightening up to make himself look like the bigger alpha.

“Then understand it somewhere else,” the colonel snapped back. “If I read the posters correctly, you got someplace to be in thirty minutes.”

Steve let out a low growl as Phillips walked away, leaving the three standing in front of a map of the area, a pin marking the area where the soldiers were trapped. He stepped closer to the map, examining it while Peggy and Tony waited in silence, both looking worried for the blond.

“Yes, Sir,” Steve replied loudly and forcefully. “I do.” He turned and walked out of the tent, Tony close behind and still clinging to his coat.

“Steve, you’re not really going to do this, are you,” Tony asked, sounding a bit more desperate than he intended.

“I need you to stay here, Tony,” the blond said, seeming to ignore what the omega had said completely.

“Did you not just hear me? This is crazy, you know that right? You going to save those soldiers? That’s a long ways to walk, or drive even!” When Tony didn’t get any sort of reply, he tried to push Steve to a stop, but that only caused his feet to dig into the mud. He grunted as he almost tripped, and then he whined again, his rib giving him a fit of pain. “Shit… Steve, come on!”

They entered Steve’s dressing room with a stumble. Tony stood near the entrance as he watched the alpha pick up a few items and stash them on his belt, then he took off his jacket and threw on his cargo pants. He tucked them into his boots before straightening up. 

That was when Peggy entered. “What do you plan to do, walk to Austria?”

“If that’s what it takes,” Steve answered in a rushed tone.

“You heard the colonel, your friend is most likely dead.”

“You don’t know that.”

“Even so, he’s devising a strategy--”

“By the time he’s done that, it could be too late.” Steve threw on a heavier jacket and put the belt on. He grabbed his shield and bag and started to head back out.

Tony got in his way and used what little weight he had to push against Steve, grunting and cringing, his rib hurting more. He got what he wanted. Steve stopped and looked down at the brunet. His hard expression softened, shoulders drooping once again.

“Steve, you’ll die out there,” Tony said in a shaking tone. If wasn’t out of fear. Of course the little alpha show only minutes before had set off what he hoped would have waited a few more days. He shivered, making his knees buckle a little. “D-damn it, Steve…”

Peggy moved closer, helping Tony stand up. “Easy, Tony, let’s get you some place to lay down.”

“No!” Tony ripped his arm from Peggy’s grip, grabbing hold of the front of Steve’s jacket. “You can’t go, Steve. I don’t want to be left behind. You promised you wouldn’t leave me behind…”

“Tony, come on,” Peggy, urged, leaving her hands at her sides so she didn’t set the omega off any more than he already was.

“Peggy, can you wait outside by the Jeep?” Steve asked, handing her his bag and shield.

The agent hesitated, but she took his things with a sigh and left the room, giving the couple their space.

When she was gone, Tony let out a whine, shaking more and leaning forward into Steve, taking in his scent with a moan. “I had hoped… that this could have waited a few more days. Would make this surprise mission so much easier.”

“Tony…” Steve wrapped his arms around Tony, holding tight, but loosening his grip when the omega gasped in pain. Mostly healed but still in pain, all because of Steve.

“I have to go find Bucky,” he said after a pause. “I know you want me to stay here with you, and even more so now that you’re going into heat. I… I want to protect you, but the best thing for you to do is stay here and wait for me to get back. If you go with me, you’ll be a liability. I hate saying that, but it’s the truth.”

Tony balled up his fists tighter in Steve’s coat. “Bucky is probably dead,” he spat out, feeling a spike of jealousy that was misplaced. He regretted it immediately.

“Even if he is, I have to save the others. They’re all in danger still, and they don’t deserve to wait out the rest of the war to be saved.”

Tony had nothing more to say. He was losing his ability to think straight, and all he could do was just hold on to his alpha, try to collect his thoughts.

“I need you to stay,” Steve said in a gentle but firm tone, a tone that made Tony nod in obedience. "Peggy will take care of you and make sure no other alpha comes by."

"I'm sorry to interrupt," Peggy's voice called from just outside the room. "But I've just contacted Howard Stark. He's meeting us at the landing strip soon. All three of us."

Tony's eyes widened. His father had no idea he had come to Europe. Howard was going to be pissed.

Steve sighed as he left Tony standing alone for just a moment. He grabbed some ammunition and one of the chorus girls' helmets, the one with the A on it. "We better get going."

* * *

"You brought my son into a warzone?!"

To say Howard was pissed was an understatement. He was fuming mad, probably the angriest Tony had ever seen him. He felt bad for not telling him, honestly, surprising him at the landing strip where he had a plane ready to fly was not the best idea. But Tony hardly cared about anything but the fact that Steve was leaving him, and he didn’t know exactly how to process that as Howard continued to yell at the alpha.

“My son could get killed out here! And he’s in heat now? Are you stupid, Rogers? He should be home where he’d be comfortable and with his mother to help him!”

“I wasn’t about to leave Tony back in the US, Mr. Stark,” Steve countered. “His safety is my concern when he didn’t want to leave my side.”

“He’s gotten attached to you, and he barely knows you. Why the hell would you bring him over here when you two are nearly complete strangers?” Howard put his hands on his hips with a huff and a glare at the blond that could kill.

“He came with me on my tour across America to increase war bond sales. It didn’t seem fair for me to leave him when my tour wasn’t finished.”

“Dad, just let it go,” Tony managed to say, leaning heavily against the plane with his eyes closed.

“You knew better than to come over here, Tony,” Howard snapped. “You have no need to be over here. You’re in heat, you’re staying in a camp surrounded by alphas, which I’m sending you back to with Peggy to watch you until I get back, then you’re getting on the next plane to London and staying there until I return to take you back home.”

“Mr. Stark, with all due respect, that’s a lot for an omega in heat to go through,” Peggy spoke up. “It’s better that he stays in the camp until his heat is over, then you can send him to London.”

Clearly agitated, Howard let out a deep sigh. “Does your mother know you’re here, Tony?”

Tony hesitated before answering. “She knows I’m with Steve.”

“You’re impossible. You’re in big trouble when we get back home, boy.”

“Don’t be too hard on him,” Peggy urged. “But we have a mission on our hands, and we need to get out of here quickly if we’re going to do this. You’d better get the plane ready to fly, Mr. Stark.”

Howard grumbled as he walked away, heading to the cockpit of the plane to start take off procedures.

“I’m sorry,” Tony said, cracking his eyes open and shivering. “I should have just stayed home.”

“Don’t blame yourself for this, Tony,” Steve said, stepping closer to the omega. “This is my fault. I brought you here with me, I put you in danger.” He sighed and cupped the side of Tony’s face with his hand. “I’m sorry, but I can’t stay with you right now. I have to find those soldiers.”

“I hope you find Bucky,” Tony said quietly, to which he received a hug from the alpha. He inhaled the rich scent of Steve, letting out an involuntary moan.

“Let’s get this briefing done quickly so you can leave,” Peggy said. “The Hydra camp is in Krausberg tucked between these two mountain ranges.” She pulled out a map and pointed to where she was talking about. “It’s a factory of some kind. Howard should be able to drop you almost on the doorstep.”

“He just needs to get me as close as he can,” Steve said, turning to look at the map, an arm staying around Tony’s shoulders. “You know, you and Howard are going to be in a lot of trouble when you land.”

“And you won’t?”

“Where I’m going, if anybody yells at me, I’ll just shoot them.”

“They’ll undoubtedly shoot back.”

“Well, let’s hope my shield is good for something.”

Peggy nodded, then grabbed a box from her pocket, handing it to Steve. “This is your transponder. Activate it when you’re ready, and the signal will lead us straight to you.”

“You sure it works?” Steve asked, taking it in his hand and looking over it.

“Mr. Stark has told me it’s been tested numerous times. It should work.”

Steve nodded, then looked back down at Tony. “Tony, I know you don’t like this,” he said after noticing that the omega was shaking. The poor guy was going to have to be without Steve at least for a little bit of his heat.

“Don’t go,” Tony said weakly, clearly his heat taking over his mind and begging the alpha to stay.

“I’m sorry, but you know I have to.” Steve hugged Tony again, the hug lasting longer than the last one did. He tried to wrap Tony in his scent as much as he could, nuzzling the omega’s head, then his neck a little at the scent gland there.

Tony shuddered. “Please come back alive,” he whispered, hugging the alpha as tight as he could.

“I will, I promise.” The alpha pulled back, looking down at Tony with a sort of sadness in his eyes. He was going to miss Tony.

“Make it mean something,” Tony said as he pushed himself up onto his toes.

Steve closed the distance and kissed Tony deeply, supporting his lower back with a strong hand pressed against it. The placement of his hand got a moan from the omega, and Tony only pressed in closer. The kiss ended all too quickly, Steve pulling away when he heard Howard approach again.

“Plane’s ready,” he said, annoyance still in his voice. “If you’re ready, Rogers, get in.”

Steve nodded. “I’m ready.”

The older Stark went back to the front of the plane with a quick pace, clearly not wanting to see his son or even talk to him. The mission was more important to him in that moment than his son who was suffering from a heat and was watching his alpha leave him while in heat.

“I’ll come back as soon as I can,” Steve said, grabbing Tony’s hand and squeezing it firmly. He reached for his dog tags around his neck, pulling them off and handing them to Tony. Their eyes connected again briefly before Steve turned and stepped onto the plane, letting their fingers linger together before he pulled away fully.

As the plane started up, Peggy reached forward and pulled Tony away from the landing strip, careful not to be too rough. She knew he wanted to watch the plane go, watch Steve go. It was going to be a long night for both agent and omega, but for Tony, it was probably going to feel like the longest night of his life, especially if his heat kept him awake all night. When they were far enough away from the plane, Peggy put a hand on Tony’s shoulder, squeezing lightly to tell him she was there for him, she was going to take care of him until Steve got back.

When the plane finally took to the sky, Tony whined, stepping forward and clutching Steve’s dog tags tightly to his chest. A feeling of emptiness filled him as he watched the plane for as long as he could until it was just a speck in the sky.

Night was falling quickly, and Tony’s heat was only intensifying by the minute. Peggy tugged him back towards the camp. “Come on, we’ll get you your own tent set up close to the medical tent.”

“He’s gone,” Tony said helplessly, still looking up at the sky as Peggy led him back.

“He’ll be back,” she said. “He needs to get those tags back from you if he plans on becoming an actual soldier.”

By the time they returned to the camp, Tony was barely able to think straight, though thankfully he managed to hold in most of his noises as Peggy led him to the medical tent. He barely heard her tell alphas coming out of their tents to back off. He knew his scent was getting stronger by the second, and having so many alphas wanting to be with him was a nice thought, but also bad. Steve would be angry at any alpha who dared touch Tony, and the thought of any other alpha being with him besides Steve suddenly put a bad feeling in his stomach. He thought he might pass out before they even got to the medical tent.

Try as hard as she did, Peggy could not make all the alphas return to their tents. Several followed her and Tony all the way to the medical tent, where Peggy threw back the flap and helped Tony inside. Only then did the alphas stop when a nurse told them all to back off and that this omega did not need their help.

Tony was kept in the medical tent and given some blankets and pillows to curl up with. His tent was set up just behind the medical tent, away from any prying alpha eyes and safe until Steve returned. Thankfully he at least had something that smelled like the blond, which helped him stay calm in the medical tent. A small part of him felt guilty for having to put the nurses though the trouble of putting up a tent specifically for him, but he would have a place to stay until his heat was over, plus a place for Steve to stay if he returned before Tony’s heat was over. Tony doubted he would be back, however. A part of him told him that he’d never see Steve again, which made him worry and his stomach hurt even more. God, he hoped Steve would return very soon. He didn’t think he’d be able to survive going through the whole heat without the alpha, since at that point in their relationship, Tony so strongly thought of Steve as _ his _ alpha.

“Tony, the tent is ready.” Peggy said gently, putting a hand on Tony’s shoulder. “Let’s get you moved over.”

As much as Tony hated to move, he knew he would feel better in the tent that didn’t reek of other alphas. Those scents only made his head hurt and his stomach hurt worse. He let himself be helped up by the agent, though he found it hard to move without feeling slick exit his body and make him feel disgusting. The humidity after the rain helped none, only making Tony feel more disgusting and sick. 

“Easy, you’re okay,” Peggy soothed, finding it painful to hear the poor omega whine and whimper at the lack of presence of the alpha he wanted. “See, we’re in your tent now. You can relax now and do what you need to. Your bags have been moved in here as well.”

Peggy helped Tony lay down on the cot he was provided with; all the blankets and pillows he had used piled around him. She wiped a cool cloth over his forehead. “I’m going to leave now, but your tent will be protected all night long, okay?”

Tony glanced up at her, panting slightly. “S-Steve’s bags…”

“Right, you want his bags in here too. I’ll go get them. Sit tight, Tony.”

Moaning, the omega buried his face in the pillows he had been given. They didn’t smell like Steve, which he hated, but if he could just get one of the alpha’s shirts and put it over one of the pillows…

Tony’s thoughts were interrupted when Peggy returned, Steve’s bags in hand. The brunet could smell his alpha’s scent as soon as she returned, and he let out a moan, which he stifled by covering his mouth. Way to go, he thought to himself, you just embarrassed yourself in front of your friend.

“Don’t worry, I’m leaving again,” the agent said after dropping Steve’s bags next to the cot. “I will let you know if Steve comes back before your heat is over, I promise.”

Another promise made to him in the same night. Tony was glad he had good friends that understood him better than his parents did. Simply having someone who told him it was okay for him to act this way during his heat was far better than what his father or even his mother had ever told him, though the Maria had always tried to be supportive and understanding.

Tony waited until Peggy was far enough away to let out a louder moan he had been holding back. He reached down to the bags that belonged to Steve and fumbled with the zippers and buckles until finally one opened, revealing Steve’s casual shirts and his tan army dress clothes. The alpha might get upset if Tony ruined his dress clothes with slick and drool, so he went for a t-shirt, snatching it up and bringing it to his face to inhale deeply. Honestly, he just wanted to grab the whole bag and dump it on himself, feeling that sensation of something heavy on him that smelled like Steve. He settled for just putting the shirt on one of the pillows and rearranging all the blankets and remaining pillows into a nest, plus adding some more of Steve’s shirts to make it smell better. Soon he had a sturdy nest built, and he collapsed into it after shedding most of his clothes.

It was a long night for Tony. He went back and forth between being hot and cold. He tossed and turned, touched himself and held himself back from touching. Nothing felt right, nothing was comfortable. He wanted Steve so bad, even though he had the alpha’s scent surrounding him. He needed Steve to hold him down, to tell him he was going to be okay, to be with him through his heat, to calm his nerves.

Tony felt scared, in all honesty. He was scared Steve wasn’t going to make it back to him. He was scared an alpha might barge in and take advantage of him. He was scared their camp might be attacked in the middle of the night and he would be taken hostage. There were so many things on his mind that he found it impossible to sleep until he exhausted his body to the point of passing out.

It was in the very early hours of the morning when Tony finally gave up on trying to make himself feel better. He gave into his exhaustion several times, only to wake up an hour later each time and feel the need to create some sort of friction. At some point, he eventually fell asleep and stayed asleep for the rest of the dark and cold night.

A couple days passed, no call from Steve, no call from Howard, and the days were long and tiring to the omega hidden away in his own tent. He wondered once more if he might ever see Steve again. Nothing was comforting to him anymore, not even the scent or the dog tags. Tony was miserable and lonely He began to believe that Steve had been killed in action, and the more he believed that, the more lonely he got. He even cried several times, believing that his alpha was really dead and wasn’t ever coming back. Tony clung tightly to every article of clothing that belonged to Steve. Nothing could make him feel better except for knowing that Steve was still alive and was coming back. More lonely and painful nights resulted in fitful sleep, until Tony continued to exhaust himself enough to just give in and pass out. There seemed to be no end to his suffering. He was going to return home with the tags of an alpha he had grown to love and never got to say it.

* * *

At long last the sun began to rise on the third day of Steve being missing, the crisp morning air accompanied by fog surrounding the forest. Peggy was up and about by the time most other soldiers were grabbing breakfast. She headed to the main tent, where Colonel Phillips was busy sipping on a cup of coffee.

Phillips eyed Peggy as she approached, taking a sip before speaking to the soldier sitting at a typewriter.

“Senator Brandt, I regret to report that Captain Steven G. Rogers went missing behind enemy lines on the third. Aerial reconnaissance has proven unfruitful. As a result, I must declare Captain Rogers… killed in action. Period.”

Peggy hesitated at the entrance of the tent, sighing as she watched Phillips turn to look at her. “Any news?” she asked.

“The last surveillance flight is back. No sign of activity.” He turned to the solder at the typewriter with a sigh. “Go get a cup of coffee, corporal.” 

Peggy cleared her throat when the soldier had left. “Mr. Stark contacted me last night. He’s making his way back to London, regretfully. His plane was attacked while taking Captain Rogers in, and he had to leave the area. He’s made a safe fuel stop along the way.”

Phillips lowered his eyebrows. He shook his head. “I can’t touch Stark, he’s rich, and he’s the army’s number one weapons contractor, you are neither one.”

“I don’t regret my actions, and I doubt Stark or Captain Rogers regretted theirs either.”

“I don’t give a damn about your opinions,” Phillips grumbled. “I took a chance with you, Agent Carter, and now America’s golden boy and a lot of other good men are dead. All because Rogers brought his little omega with him and wanted to protect him, and you helped him.”

“It wasn’t that,” Peggy snapped back. “I had faith. Tony had faith, and Tony being here has nothing to do with what happened out there.”

“Well I hope that’s a comfort to the both of you when they come shut this division down.”

The two stared at each other for a long while, meanwhile a commotion was going on outside. Soldiers were running towards the entrance of the camp, shouting things that were unintelligible. When more men ran by, Phillips’ and Peggy’s attentions were finally caught.

“What the hell is going on out there?” The Colonel brushed past Peggy, exiting the tent while the agent was left to stare into space for a bit before also leaving the tent.

They pushed through the crowd of soldiers growing the closer they got the camp’s entrance. Coming up the road, marching at a brisk pace, was Steve, followed by hundreds of men he had rescued from the Hydra base. Those who were in the camp cheered and clapped at the return of their own men, plus others from other militaries. They marched on through until they stopped in the middle of camp, meeting Phillips and Peggy. There was silence between them, then Steve spoke.

“Some of these men need medical attention.” Another pause. “I’d like to surrender myself for disciplinary action.”

“That won’t be necessary,” Phillips replied, a smile pulling at the corners of his mouth.

Nearby, at the tent next to the medical tent, a head poked out, dark hair messy and dark circles under eyes as the omega looked around, curious about the commotion. And then he spotted Steve. Jacket torn, face dirty and streaked from dried sweat, but it was Steve. Tony let out a sob with a smile, pulling back inside his tent and dressing in loose clothes and boots before running out and calling out Steve’s name.

The blond turned towards the sound of his name being called out, blue eyes wide as he caught sight of Tony pushing through the crowd to get to him. Steve smiled and laughed, holding his arms out to catch the omega in a tight hug.

“Oh my god, Steve,” Tony cried as they collided, the omega burying his face in Steve’s chest and inhaling as he let his tears stream down his face. Tony still smelled like he was in heat, but his scent was mixed with relief and happiness.

“I told you I’d come back, Tony.” Steve pulled back and smoothed back the brunet’s hair, hand resting on Tony’s cheek. His thumb wiped away some tears.

“You’re late,” Peggy said as Colonel Phillips walked away.

Steve looked up at her and pulled out his transponder. It had a hole blown in it. “Couldn’t call my ride.”

Peggy smiled as a man nearby got everyone’s attention.

“Hey! Let’s hear it for Captain America!”

Steve seemed to puff up, taking in the praise he got from the other soldiers, but he didn’t pay mind to it for long. He looked back down at Tony and wrapped his arms around him before pulling him into a deep and longing kiss. Clearly he had been wanting to kiss Tony again for a long few days. “I missed you so much,” he said after pulling back.

“I missed you too, Steve.” Tony smiled, feeling a warmth rush to his belly, a spike of need running through him.

The man who had encouraged everyone to cheer for Steve came close and patted the alpha on the back. “This must be the omega you were telling me about,” he said with a smirk.

“Yeah, this is Tony. Tony, this is my friend Bucky I told you about.”

Tony pulled himself close to Steve, but he nodded at Bucky politely.

“You go take care of him, Steve,” Bucky prompted. “We’re good here now.”

Nodding, Steve pulled Bucky in for a half hug, patting his shoulder before looking back down at Tony. “I believe you need me for something now…”

Tony flushed deep red, that warmth in his belly spreading lower as he shivered. “Tent… over by the medical tent…”

“There’s a tent behind the medical tent that the nurses set up for him,” Peggy explained. I can tell everyone to clear the area if that would give you two better privacy.

“That would be excellent,” Steve said as he picked up Tony and carried him off to what was now their tent, a smile on his face the whole way until they disappeared from prying eyes.


	4. Chapter 4

Their scents were mingling together quite nicely as Steve set Tony down on the cot. It looked so small, but it was apparently big enough to hold a nest. Must have been an extra large size. Steve worried it was going to tip over, but the cots were usually built pretty tough, so it might work.

Steve knelt down on the ground and got between Tony’s legs, reaching up to shove the omega’s shirt off and toss it to the side. The small moan he received made him smile as he leaned forward and planted a kiss to the center of Tony’s chest. Pulling back, he pulled off the gloves he wore, tossing them into the start of a pile of the clothes. Next to come off was the helmet, his blond hair standing up on end from sweat. His jacket soon followed, being tossed into the pile. His lifted his eyes to Tony’s tilting his head to the side with a look of relief to just be back with Tony and to be alone with him like this.

Tony blushed as Steve’s hands rested on his hips. The omega leaned forward, cupping Steve’s dirty face in his hands and kissing him gently. Despite his growing need, Tony was also glad to simply have his alpha back. It was a tender moment, all touches light and almost hesitant. Almost like Steve was scared to hurt Tony if he grabbed too hard.

When they parted from the kiss, Steve leaned forward and wrapped his arms around Tony, head resting at the omega’s heart. It was an action that let Steve be vulnerable, something he didn’t show to just anyone. Even in normal moments when they were alone with each other, drawing or reading a newspaper, Steve was never this vulnerable. This was a special side of Steve that only Tony got to see, and Tony cherished it. 

“I saw things out there, Tony,” Steve said quietly after a bit. “Not necessarily things that were scarring, but… things I don’t want to see again, but I know I have to.”

“You don’t need to think about that,” Tony said. “Focus on me, on us… that’s all that matters right now.”

Steve sighed and looked up at Tony, smiling guiltily. “You’re right… Right now is about us.” He stood up slowly, hooking his thumbs into the waist of Tony’s pants.

Tony kicked off the boots he had thrown on and not tied. His stomach flipped in anticipation, flinching at the light touches Steve gave him. When the alpha pulled down his pants, he tipped his head back a moaned, the cooler air making him shiver. He swallowed and looked up at Steve with wide, eager eyes. 

With Steve tugging off Tony's pants, he managed to turn the brunet and push him down onto his back. The end result of these actions was Tony laying naked on the cot, knees brought up while the omega peeked around them at his alpha. Steve looked down at him with need, feeling his clothes get tight as his body reacted to Tony's scent. He took off the top of his costume, which he had even started to admit was ugly, and tossed it to the side, exposing his chest for the first intimate time to Tony. Next came his pants he wore on top of the costume, and the boots and socks. Lastly, his costume pants came off, leaving him in his briefs.

Tony whined and reached his arms out, wanting to touch Steve and feel those muscles move. He wanted Steve to just crawl onto him and go to town more, but he would settle for touching, getting in a bit of foreplay before really getting things heated. This was, after all their first time together. It was a rather special and important time.

Steve crawled onto the cot slowly, one foot still on the ground so he didn’t flip the cot over. He gently placed his hands on Tony’s knees, silently asking for permission to spread them. There was a bit of hesitation, but before long, Tony relaxed his legs and nodded at Steve, taking in a deep breath and letting it out slowly.

“It’s okay,” the alpha reassured. “Trust me.”

Steve pulled the omega’s legs apart just enough for him to slip through and crawl the rest of the way onto the cot. He braced himself with his hands over Tony, and the brunet gently squeezed his legs against Steve’s torso. 

Tony hadn't realized up until that point just how much bigger Steve was after having the serum injected into him. Steve wasn't the little guy that Tony met on that fateful day; he was undoubtedly a super soldier, a man that honestly fit in better as an alpha than the scrawny beta he had been before. Tony groaned as he continued to look over the alpha's body, noting the differences the serum had brought on. Hell, Tony even dared to glance down at Steve's groin, promptly whining again and bringing his hands up to grasp Steve's biceps. Good lord, he had no idea how this was going to work.

Their eyes locking, Steve lowered his face and kissed Tony once more. His hands were braced on either side of the cot, his back muscles flexing as he held himself up. Then he moved to Tony's jaw and chin, leaving little kisses and a few little bites that made the omega moan. He moved on to the neck, finding the scent gland there and nuzzling it. He rubbed his own scent onto Tony’s, mixing their scents into a pleasant sweet smell that had a kick of spice to it. 

It smelled like heaven, if Tony had to give it a name.

Tony had been lost in the moment of being ravaged by his alpha, letting loose several gasps and moans, until Steve nipped at his scent gland. That made the omega jerk and shiver at the same time, letting out a longer moan. “Oh god,” he rasped out, bringing a hand to the back of Steve’s head.

The foreplay seemed to last forever to Tony, each little nip releasing wave after wave of slick. The cot was pretty much soaked with slick, as was the nest, but neither alpha nor omega minded. They were so infatuated with each other that a soaked cot was the least of their worries. Tony was more concerned about when Steve was finally going to take his briefs off and fuck the living daylights out of him. Surely he was enticing enough for his alpha already, right? Yeah, it was their first time, things could get awkward and long, but hell, Tony was practically begging for Steve to get a move on.

“Steve, please…” Okay, so he really was begging, lifting his hips and whining repeatedly. “Alpha…”

Steve, being the gentleman he was, stopped attacking Tony’s neck and collar bone with kisses and bites, and he looked up at the brunet. It was like something clicked in him when he was called alpha, that deep primal instinct activating inside him, and a low growl came from his throat.

Tony was damned to hell for sure. He felt Steve rumble with his growl, and the moan he produced from feeling that would have put most other omegas to shame. He wasn’t usually this vocal during a heat, but Steve brought out something in him that had waited some 25 odd long years to awaken.

Tony hardly noticed when Steve shifted and moved away from his legs, finally removing his briefs and revealing that thick alpha cock that Tony had waited oh so long for. The omega could hardly contain the gasp he let out. Yeah, that was going to be a bitch to get in, but he was eager and willing. His body was already producing enough slick to lube up the whole damned army, surely it would be enough when Steve finally inserted himself into his omega. For Tony, that moment was close at hand, and continuing to remind himself of that only made his body react even more.

Steve had a look in his eyes that wasn’t there before. It was more primal, and it was such an intense gaze that made Tony freeze and look at the alpha helplessly with wide eyes. He was at the mercy of his alpha, he couldn’t do anything unless Steve told him to. And oh god he wanted to hear that voice go rough and deep with his alpha tone.

After a little bit of holding the intense stare, Steve shifted and slid one leg off the cot. He made slow movements to grab Tony and turn him over, Tony easily following his alpha’s wordless instructions and sliding onto his stomach. He started to sit up, back turned to Steve, but he was quickly deterred from sitting up when Steve gave a sharp “No,” with his alpha tone coming through. Tony obeyed without any hesitation, though he did whine when Steve didn't touch him after that. The omega was forced to trust Steve, as he could not see what Steve was doing very well when faced away from him.

Tony jumped when he felt one of Steve's hands gently grip the back of his neck, holding him down on the cot while the other hand brought Tony's hips up into the air, the perfect submission pose. Tony moaned into the pillow his face was resting on while Steve’s hands moved down his body and rested on his raised hips.

With Tony presented like he was, Steve felt his cock twitch in anticipation. He was excited, to say the least. After a long couple of days walking in the Italian sun and wondering if Tony was alright, Steve was more than ready for this. To spend part of a heat with his omega, tell Tony that he was safe once again, that’s what Steve wanted. He wanted to connect with Tony on a whole new level, move on from the courting phase of their relationship. That phase had probably ended already to be truthful, especially if they were naked on a cot going through a heat for the first time together. It was all so interesting how one day they were still courting, then the next they were sharing a heat together.

Steve caught a whiff of Tony’s scent, making him groan deep, his body shifting into rut to compliment Tony’s heat. He closed his eyes and relished in the feeling before opening them again and moving his hands, spreading apart Tony’s ass cheeks and leaning down to give the waiting hole a lick.

“Oh fuck,” Tony said with a jolt. "Alpha, please…"

Steve groaned again, straightening up and shuffling forward until his erection was pressing against Tony's ass eagerly. He hardly had to move before Tony was begging even more to have his alpha inside him. Steve smirked at the begging, liking that only he got to see the omega like this. This act, this behavior was all his to enjoy.

“Tony,” the blond groaned when his omega shook his hips a little. 

“Alphaaaaa,” Tony responded with a whine. 

Huffing in a very alpha way, Steve cut the foreplay off and went straight for sticking the tip of his cock in Tony’s hole. He was rewarded with a moan and a shiver from the omega. As much as he wanted to go ahead, Steve knew they had to do one last thing before he entered Tony fully.

"Tony, do you have any protection with you?"

The omega whined in protest, feeling the tip of Steve's cock slip out of him. "Don't want to use protection," he grumbled.

"I know, but I'm pretty sure neither of us are prepared for the consequences of not using protection. Do you have any with you?"

They're was a pause, then Tony answered. "In my black bag, yeah…"

Steve acted quickly, knowing Tony was just as impatient as he was. Protection was important though, especially when the war was still raging and neither of them were currently home. Even accidentally having a baby wasn't an option for them. Maybe eventually when they could get a place together and Steve had a stable job, with Tony eventually helping his father at Stark Industries, they could have a family and live a normal life.

The alpha was climbing back on the bed as soon as he had the condom on. Tony hadn't moved an inch from his submissive position, which Steve was pleased by. He resumed his own position, hips lined up with Tony's and hands resting on the small of the omegas back. Once more the tip of his cock slid into Tony, then a little more, and the omega was letting out moans one right after the other. Slowly Steve fully sheathed himself into his omega, letting out a low groan once his hips met Tony's. There was a moment of pause where the two adjusted and relaxed, relishing in the sensation of joining together for the first time.

When Steve took too long to make any other movement, Tony whined and shoved his hips backwards. That seemed to snap the alpha out of the moment of bliss, and soon he was pulling his hips back just enough so that his cock pulled out to the tip, then he pushed it back inside, repeating the motion in a steady pace that made Tony let out several moans. 

The moment Tony was waiting for was finally happening, and he felt lightheaded as Steve fucked him into the cot. His face rested against the pillows he had been offered, acting as soft padding against the rough material of the cot, which he was grateful for. He was sure his face would have been roughed up if he hadn’t had the pillows. Steve was going pretty hard for their first time together, but Tony was okay with that. He finally was sharing a heat with the alpha he had fallen for all too easily. He let out a happy moan, daring to smile as Steve went deeper inside him, shifting positions a little to reach deeper still. Tony’s smile stayed, though he moaned louder. He hoped the alpha could see how happy he was.

Steve hardly had his eyes opened to be completely honest. He was lost in the moment, much like Tony was. It just felt so good to be inside the omega, feel him squeeze and relax around him when one thrust hit a particularly nice spot. His hands had moved to grip Tony’s hips and pull them back as he thrust his hips forward. Each time he did that, he was rewarded with a louder moan from the omega, which only encouraged him to go harder and harder, deeper until Tony was so full of him.

It didn’t take much longer for Tony to be grasping at the blankets and pillows, limbs spazzing about as his mind went fuzzy, his belly and groin heating up until he was shouting with his orgasm, his whole body shaking while at the mercy of the blond alpha still fucking him with what felt like his whole might. Tony tried to look back at Steve, because he knew those sharp blue eyes were staring at him, so focused on him with only one thought running through his mind because that was just how alphas got when they were close to their own orgasm.

Sure enough, Steve’s thrusts got unsteady and lost their rhythm, the blond grunting and quickly shifting his hands from Tony’s hips to the poles that kept the cot’s shape. They creaked in opposition while Tony was pressed down into the cot more than before, a little whine of anticipation escaping the omega. 

Finally Steve made his last thrust with a strangled sounding groan, pushing his hips against the back of Tony’s and effectively pushing the omega even more into the cot. The sounds coming from the brunet were small and quiet, cute almost, Steve thought to himself as he made a few small thrusts, making sure he was in a comfortable position for his expanding knot. He was filling Tony up with his knot, and god did it feel good. It felt right, it felt like this was how everything was supposed to feel. Good, satisfied, comforted. 

Tony let out his own groan, barely getting the word “Alpha” out as he looked back at Steve. He felt his belly get full with the knot, which made him feel so warm and far beyond satisfied. If only Steve hadn’t asked about protection, he would have felt the alpha’s cum filling him as well. Tony settled for just the knot though, simply feeling happy that Steve had finally joined him for a heat. This wasn’t the only time they were going to fuck, Tony knew, but for a moment he could relax before his heat demanded he be filled again. For the time being, he could just relax his body, feel Steve deep inside him and be happy that he finally had a bonded alpha. He just needed that bite scar on his neck…

One day, Tony told himself. They’d get married after the war and physically mark each other, Steve giving Tony the bite scar and Tony giving Steve a smaller version of the bite scar.

Steve shifted gingerly, taking care not to flip over the cot so they could lay on their sides together. Once they were in a more comfortable position to relax in, both sighed in unison, happy and content sighs that made them both smile. Tony had a brief thought that he was glad the cot hadn’t simply snapped under the strength of Steve’s grip in his last few thrusts.

“You were so good, Tony,” Steve breathed out, his breath tickling the small hairs on the back of Tony’s neck. “Such a good omega…”

Tony whined again, feeling so happy to have pleased his alpha. This was what he had wanted, and he hadn’t known that until Steve called him omega and held him closer. He felt even better when Steve put a hand on his belly and gently caressed it. God that would feel so good later on down the road when they decided they wanted to have kids.

Tony’s mind was still in heat mode, despite having mostly clear thoughts. He could only manage to say one word in response to Steve’s praise. “Alpha…”

Steve crooned happily at being called alpha, holding Tony closer while they waited for his knot to release. About an hour passed before finally he was able to slip out of the omega and peel off the condom, tossing it in the trash before grabbing a towel and some water. He was aware of Tony watching him as he dumped the water on the towel, then moved back over to the cot and spread the omega’s legs to clean him up.

Tony jumped at the cold towel hitting his red bottom, but after a bit it began to feel nice, having the cool, gentle towel cleaning him, even though Steve had used a condom and there wasn’t much to clean up other than dried slick and sweat. Regardless, it still felt nice to be taken care of after sex.

Once Tony was cleaned up, Steve cleaned himself and leaned down to kiss the omega’s cheek. “How are you feeling?”

Tony just sighed, closing his eyes as the blond reached a hand down to run his fingers through dark hair.

“It’s okay, you don’t have to talk.” Steve crawled back onto the cot, shifting Tony to his other side so they could face each other. He grabbed one of the blankets and tossed it over the both of them. “Get some rest before your next wave hits.”

“You rest,” Tony countered with a small voice. “Walked a long ways…”

Steve smiled and nuzzled Tony. “You don’t need to worry about me. I’m here for you, and I’m not leaving you for a long time.”

Tony seemed to be happy with that. He snuggled up close to Steve and took in his sharp alpha scent. His sigh was a happy one, and as he relaxed, he eventually fell into a deep sleep that he hadn’t gotten the luxury of for a long time. With Steve next to him, Tony was safe. Tony would be well taken care of, and that was perfect to him. In his sleep, he dreamed of the perfect life he would have with Steve after the war ended. Starting a family, getting married, it all sounded so nice, and he wasn’t usually one to settle for typical alpha and omega family fantasies. It was just that in his moment of being in heat, having several strong blond alpha pups sounded so good, and maybe one day, his dream would come true.

* * *

London was gloomy and cold. The trip to the city from Italy had been so nice, especially after Tony was out of his heat. He was far more comfortable and smiled more around Steve and Peggy, despite knowing that his father had been waiting for him with undoubtedly a disappointed expression. No matter what his father thought, Tony was living large for the world being in the middle of a war. 

Except that he wasn’t at the same time. He, Steve, Peggy, and his father were all cramped underneath the streets of London in some secret base that held untold secrets from the world. Tony thought there were so many secrets that the world would never get the chance to know them unless a huge leak in information occurred. Which was highly unlikely because this base wasn’t known to the public. Hell, it also acted as a bunker in case nuclear war broke out. Tony hoped that would never be the case.

The brunet was sitting in a chair away from the table Steve, Peggy, and many other agents who were curious to know where the other Hydra bases were. Plans were being made to attack all bases, which Steve was so expertly pointing out on the map, all dressed in his darker dress uniform decked out in pins marking his rank and achievements. 

“The fifth one was here in Poland, near the Baltic,” Tony heard the blond say, having not paid any attention to the conversation before hand since he was told to sit aside and let the alphas and betas do their work. He hadn’t been too happy with that command given to him by a random agent.

“The sixth one was about… here, 30 or 40 miles west of the Maginot Line.” Steve stood up straight as the agent standing next to him took away the map he had been marking on, causing him to switch his attention to something else. He settled on Peggy.

“I only got a quick look.”

Peggy pushed herself away from the edge of the table and smiled. “Well, nobody’s perfect.”

Steve smiled back as she walked away, his blue eyes then settling on Tony looking rather bored in his chair. “You look thrilled to be here.”

Tony sighed and got up, swaggering over to the table and sitting on the edge of it next to Steve. “I’d happily be doing anything but sitting to the side and be told that I should leave all the work to the alphas and betas.”

“Sorry you got told that,” Steve said in a gentle voice, placing an equally gentle hand on Tony’s thigh. “I wanted you at the table the whole time, to be honest. You’re important enough to me to know what’s going on with all this Hydra business.”

“Others seem to think the opposite.” Shaking his head, Tony leaned forward, his head resting on Steve’s chest. “We need a vacation.”

Steve sighed and nodded, shifting so Tony could wrap his legs around the alpha’s waist and be hugged. “Hopefully soon. I know we have to take down these Hydra bases though, and war hardly ever gives anyone a break.”

“Christmas is coming up soon,” Tony stated simply. “We already spent Thanksgiving away from home. I want to spend Christmas somewhere nice.”

"War gets in the way. It's hard to be able to enjoy a holiday, and you know that."

"I still want to try to celebrate this year. Even if we’re not back at home.” Tony pulled back and looked up at Steve. “We haven’t celebrated a Christmas together, and I really want to get you something.”

Steve smiled and rubbed a thumb over the omega’s cheek. “I’d like to do some gift giving as well… We’ll see if we get to have Christmas off of all this mess. If we do, I’ll take you somewhere special.”

Tony sighed and slid off the table. “I hope we do. I need a pick-me-up."

"I know, I do too. I think celebrating a holiday is the kind of pick-me-up we need."

"It's be nice if we could get some more alone time. I mean I know we just spend part of my last heat together… but I'd like to spend a whole one with you." Tony leaned in closer, lowering his voice as he spoke about the more private topic.

"I'd love to as well, Tony. If we can get some free time during your next heat, I'll definitely be with you for the whole thing."

The brunet smiled. "Even if you're told not to?"

"If I'm with you in the middle of your heat and they tell me to leave, unless it's dire, I'm not leaving you."

Tony looked a little disappointed, but he knew Steve was going to be working on actual military stuff after saving all those soldiers in Italy. "Then I'll be hoping for no dire situations to come up."

"Unless one of our attacks on the Hydra bases happens to line up with your heat, we'll be fine."

"Captain Rogers," an agent greeted the blond as they walked up. "Colonel Phillips is arriving. You and Agent Carter are to meet him."

Thanks," Steve said, watching the agent walk away. He sighed and moved a hand to squeeze Tony's shoulder. "We'll talk more about this later. We have a Colonel to meet with in the meantime."

Tony smiled. "Let's see how many agents I can piss off by joining you."

"Language," Steve said with a smirk.

"Oh, does my good Christian alpha not like my bad mouth?"

"Somehow it suits you so well. I can't imagine you not swearing."

"I'd blame my dad, but if rather no part of my life be all thanks to him. I think you can understand."

Steve chuckled, starting to head to the entrance of the base. "You're nothing like your dad from what I've seen. I wouldn't give him credit for any part of your life either."

“Can’t wait until I can move away from him. He’s not a bad guy really… he just has strong opinions, and I know he just wants to protect me. He’s doing his best.” Tony sighed, following the alpha to meet Colonel Phillips. 

Before too long the two met up with Peggy once more, the three of them going to greet the colonel. The look Tony got from the older man didn't go unnoticed by the omega. He simply lowered his eyes to avoid too much confrontation. Having a staring contest wasn’t what this meeting was about.

“Colonel,” Peggy greeted. “We have the map marked with locations of the other factories.”

“Good,” Phillips replied. “Take me to it, we don’t have a second to lose.”

The four of them walked over to a table that had a larger map on it, each of the Hydra bases marked with a little flag with the letter H on them and a little factory looking marker. There were six in total. Tony wondered who made the markers and flags as Steve started talking.

“These are the weapons factories we know about,” the alpha said as they stopped at the edge of the table, Tony standing just behind him. “Sergeant Barnes said that Hydra shipped all the parts to another facility that isn’t on this map.”

Phillips barely looked over the map before he turned away and started barking out orders. Typical officer, Tony thought to himself. 

“Agent Carter, coordinate with MI6. I want every allied eyeball looking for that main Hydra base.”

“What about us?” Peggy asked as she, Steve and Tony followed the colonel away from the table.

“We are going to set a fire under Johann Schmidt’s ass,” the older man replied, taking a stack of papers from a blonde female agent. “What do you say, Rogers? It’s your map. You think you can wipe Hydra off it?”

Steve glanced back at the map. “Yes, Sir,” he said most confidently. “I’ll need a team.”

“We’re already putting together the best men.”

“With all due respect, Sir, so am I.”

Phillips raised an eyebrow before walking away, looking over the papers he was given.

“Just what men are you gathering together?” Peggy asked Steve with an almost smile on her face.

“Some of the guys I rescued from that first factory. I planned on going to ask them tonight at the bar.”

“You’re going to ask a bunch of drunken soldiers to fight after they had been captured? They’re going to think you’re out of your mind.”

“I think they’ll be more than willing to join the fight again,” Steve countered. “They’ve been through hell but they’re still soldiers. They’d defend their home to their dying breath if they could.”

“If you’re sure. Don’t want you to end up with a bunch of tired men who just want to go home.”

“Trust me, they’re still willing to fight.”

Tony stepped closer to join the conversation. “How are you going to convince them to help you?”

“If they’re anything like me, they just want to make the world a better place. No bullies, no hate, just people getting along, and I need to show them that’s what I want too. If they don’t see that, they won’t join.”

“You made it sound like this was going to be easy for us earlier, now you’re making it sound hard.”

“It’ll still be hard, but you’re not going anywhere, young man,” came Howard’s voice as he approached the small group. “I’ve had enough of you getting in the middle of things in this war.”

Tony turned and looked at his father. “Dad, I’m a big part of this too, I need to go.”

“You’re hardly involved. You’re simply the omega that stays by Captain America’s side. You’re like those bombshell omegas they paint on the sides of planes and on Coke ads, you’re not really doing anything but making the soldiers happy when they look at you.”

The brunet lowered his eyebrows. “Is that really how you see your own son? Just another omega to look pretty for the alphas? Do you know how hard it really is to fight off alphas who want to get under my clothes and do unspeakable things to me? No, because you’re just a beta. You don’t get to know what it’s like to have hormones fly into your face just from having a horny alpha walk by and look you over.”

“You know that’s not what I meant,” Howard said sternly. “You’re not doing much to help around here.”

“I would be doing a lot if you just let me do the things I want to do,” Tony snapped back. “Let me work on your projects with you, let me make designs for weapons you can make, let me do the calculations!”

“I can’t do that, Tony, and you know why. If I let you work on any of my projects with me, I’d be out of a job quicker than a snap of the fingers.”

There was a tense silence that filled the air. Howard sighed and put his hands on his hips, looking at his son with a sort of apologetic scowl. Tony crossed his arms over his chest and stared at his father, the moment becoming more tense as the seconds ticked by. It was Howard, to Tony’s dislike, that broke the silence.

“You’re not going with Captain Rogers, but you can watch me work for a while if that will make you happy.”

A heavy sigh escaped Tony’s lips as he let his arms drop back to his sides. "It won't, but I'll stay. I don't want to be around a bunch of drunk alphas anyways."

"I'll stay here with you," Peggy said, putting a hand on Tony's shoulder.

"Thanks, I have a feeling I'll need someone more my age to be with me until Steve gets back."

"I'll try not to be gone long," the blond said as he leaned down to kiss Tony's forehead.

"Just don't be gone for three days this time." Tony smirked as Steve chuckled at his comment.

"Don't worry, I'm not rescuing hundreds of soldiers this time. I should be back late tonight."

"Don't keep me waiting too long, Captain."

The two exchanged some flirty glances before Steve turned to go, leaving Tony, Peggy, and Howard standing next to each other in a heavy silence. Not a word was spoken as Tony watched Steve leave, then he turned to his father with a grim expression. “Show me what you’re working on,” he said with an almost pained tone that didn’t go unnoticed by Peggy.

The hours dragged on, and Peggy and Tony were stuck either watching Howard or listening to other agents drone on about the war. Tony wasn’t too disappointed by being able to watch his father work on new projects, including some shields that looked like they were prototypes for a future design Steve might use. The omega took little interest in those, choosing instead to focus on the weapon designs his father was working on. He was more interested in the math anyways.

As intriguing as mathematics were to Tony, it never caught his attention for more than a couple hours. After that, he checked out completely. He glanced around the room and wandered over to Peggy, watching the reports she was working on while they waited for Steve. That captured his attention for about 20 minutes before he sighed and went off to find a chair to sit in and think of something else to do. Nothing came to mind. Tony was bored and without any paper or pencil to write down equations that would take him out of his boredom. He couldn’t go anywhere in the base really, because no one wanted him to mess anything up, not that he was really interested in the files they had unless they were blueprints for future weapons. His father wouldn't allow him to go anywhere in the base either. Tony felt like he was being watched by a babysitter, just like when he was a kid.

Tony didn’t know how long he had his eyes closed for, because the next thing he knew Peggy was tapping his shoulder and holding a finger up to her lips, indicating for the omega to keep quiet. He looked around with wide eyes as he woke up, seeing his father’s back turned to them. Looking back at Peggy, he shook his head with a questioning expression.

Peggy nodded her head towards the exit while taking off her heels to make her strides quieter. She kept her eyes on Howard until she was out of sight of the older man, motioning for Tony to follow quickly.

Tony didn’t think for too long before he was scurrying to where Peggy waited for him. She was up to something, and he was trying desperately to figure it out. “Where are we going?” he asked in a hushed whisper, hoping they were far enough away from his father to finally speak, or whisper at least.

“We’re getting out of here,” she replied with a sparkle in her eye. “And we’re getting dressed up to do it.”

“What? What about my dad? Isn’t he going to freak out when he notices we’re gone?”

“Did you see him back there? He’s too busy with his project to know we’ll be gone, I promise.”

Tony trusted her, hoping she left a note or something… or hoping that she didn’t leave any sort of note. “Okay, so where are we changing our clothes at?”

“My apartment. I’ve got some clothes that will be perfect for you to wear tonight.” Peggy opened up the door to the stairs that would lead them up above ground. She pushed Tony in front of her, making sure the door closed quietly before she hurried up the stairs.

“Wait, Peggy, you know I don’t like to get all dressed up like the other omegas,” Tony tried to argue while the agent was quite literally pushing him up the stairs.

“You’ll like these clothes. Besides, you’re dressing up for Steve anyways.”

“We’re going to the bar? At this time of day? We’ll be mugged, or worse!”

“Not with your big alpha to protect us,” Peggy said with a smirk. That woman put Tony on edge sometimes.

“You’re impossible, Peggy.” Tony sighed as he finally went up the stairs himself, almost running up them as quickly as he could. “You better not have some frilly dress to put me in.”

“You would never look good in a dress to be truthful,” the agent said as they finally reached the top of the stairs. 

“Really? I think I could pull one off better than you could.”

“Just go outside already!” Peggy pushed him with a laugh out the store front the stairs had led to, leaving them on a busy sidewalk in the cool London night. 

“Jesus, Peggy it’s freezing out here,” Tony complained as the agent put her shoes back on. “I hope you have a car or something because I’m not walking my ass all the way to your apartment.”

“You complain about everything, don’t you?” Peggy laughed as she grabbed Tony’s hand and started running to catch a taxi. She eventually waved one down and told the driver to take them to her apartment. Thankfully it was warm inside.

Before long they were at Peggy’s apartment building, and while Tony got out of the taxi and ran inside, Peggy paid the driver and thanked him. She hurried inside just as some small snowflakes began to float down in the chilly air. Good thing she had more coats in her apartment that the two of them could use when they headed out to the bar in their fancy clothes.

“Should have grabbed my coat before we left,” Tony grumbled, letting Peggy go ahead of him and lead him to her apartment. “I hope what you’re planning on having me wear is warm.”

“I’ve got a coat you can wear, since you’re basically the same size as me.”

“Perks of having a beta female as a friend, I guess. I get to wear her clothes.” 

“How do you feel about makeup?” Peggy asked as she unlocked the door to her apartment, pushing it open and going inside, turning on the lights.

“I’d like to go without it as much as possible,” the brunet said, walking into the apartment and closing the door behind him.

“Okay, how about a little? Some eye liner maybe? It’d make your eyes stunning.”

“Let me see the clothes first, then I’ll decide if I want makeup or not.”

“Right, come here then.” She gestured her hand for Tony to follow back to her bedroom closet. Surprisingly, it wasn’t full of dresses and military uniforms like Tony had thought it would be. In fact, there were several pairs of pants in the closet, none of which looked like they had been worn for a while.

“Some of my clothes may be a bit big on you, but I think the right pair of pants and the right top will make you look like the world’s most attractive omega.” 

Peggy searched her closet, picking out a pair of pants that were a dark grey, then she picked a top that flared out at the bottom. She held it up to Tony, tilting her head in thought. “Why don’t you go put on those pants real quick, and tuck your shirt into it. Lose the suspenders for now.”

Tony looked skeptical, but he did as he was told, taking the pants and moving behind the changing screen in the opposite corner of the room. He wasn’t a huge fan of high rising pants, especially if they were tight in the groin area. It usually led to a general discomfort, for obvious reasons. These pants were comfortable, however, which surprised Tony. He figured it made sense, since Peggy was a bit taller than him. They seemed to emphasize his hips, which wasn’t how he usually dressed, but if he was going to visit Steve at the bar, he had to look his very best. Ditching his usual style and emphasizing his hips was a sacrifice he was willing to make.

“I think the legs are a bit long,” Tony said as he came out from behind the screen, tossing his suspenders onto the bed.

Peggy turned to look at him and smiled. “But they look damn fine on you. The high rise really suits your body. Now put this on.”

Tony flushed as he was handed the top Peggy had been considering before. It looked like that night was the night to emphasize all his curves. The top buttoned up a bit like an overcoat, which Tony did like. The pants buttoned a similar way as well. Tony’s outfit was a bit like a suit with an omegan touch to it. Truthfully… Tony thought he looked fairly good in it. His watch made for a good accessory, but there still felt like there was something missing. Maybe he did need to put on some makeup…

“Something’s off,” Peggy said in a thinking tone. “I think I know what you need.”

Moving with determination, the agent moved over to her vanity, pulling out a box and opening it, smiling to herself. “Perfect,” she said as she moved back over to Tony. Inside the box was a brooch and a pair of clip on earrings. They were sparkling red, almost matching the color of the little gems around the face of Tony’s watch.

“Oh wow… I didn’t know you had these. You never wear anything like this.” Tony carefully took the box and looked over the gems.

“They’re for special occasions, of course. I have a red dress to match them, but I think they’ll look better on you tonight.”

“Are you sure? I can find something else to wear.”

“Yes I’m sure. You’re wearing them tonight, and I’ll wear a simple necklace I’ve had for years. I don’t want to steal the spotlight from you, after all.” Peggy smiled as she went to her closet and picked out the red dress she had spoken of. “And I do think a little bit of eye liner and maybe some lip gloss will make you look even better.”

“No to the lip gloss, but I’ll do the eyeliner.” Tony moved himself to the vanity and sat down, taking the earrings out of the box and putting them on. He turned his head from side to side and smiled. They weren’t too big or too small, and they caught every bit of light, no matter what direction his head was turned. By the time he had put the matching brooch on, Peggy had already slipped into her dress and was approaching Tony from behind.

“I told you they’d look good on you,” she said as she reached around and grabbed her necklace, fastening it around her neck. “Eyeliner is right there.”

The omega grabbed the pallet Peggy had pointed to and slowly painted on the black eyeliner, giving himself wings as an added flare. He admired his work before adding some to his bottom eyelids, then closed the cake pallet and set it back down. Maybe he needed to do a bit of contouring too, but he was happy with just the eyeliner.

“Do I look presentable?” he asked as he turned his head and looked up at Peggy, batting his eyelashes jokingly.

“More than presentable,” she replied with a smile, slipping into a pair of heels that better matched her dress. “Come on, coats are by the door. We’ve got a bar to go to.”


	5. Chapter 5

When Tony and Peggy arrived at the bar, they were greeted with a multitude of alphas acting polite and complimenting them as they walked inside. It was a bit annoying, but at least they knew Steve was inside, and if any alpha tried anything, they would soon have a big blond captain to deal with.

Inside, several soldiers and sailors alike were drinking heavily and singing merrily to take away the pains of war. Some were in the corners tucked away with some omegas or pretty beta girls willing to let the men do what they wanted to them. Except when Tony and Peggy walked in. All the singing slowly died down as all eyes turned towards the two newcomers. Both Peggy and Tony were well aware of their effect on the drunken crowd as they took off their coats and hung them up by the door.

“Are you sure this is a good idea?” Tony asked as he glanced over the many drunken alphas, holding back a shiver at some of the looks he was receiving. 

“Yes, we just need to find Steve and we’ll be fine.” Peggy led the way towards the back of the bar, looking around with sharp eyes, discouraging any alphas from making a move. She moved her head suddenly towards a hallway that lead to another part of the bar.

Tony felt his stomach flip as they rounded the corner of the hallway and met Steve face to face, along with Bucky. The omega’s heart started beating faster as he made eye contact with his alpha. “Hello, Captain,” he managed to say with a smile.

“Tony… Agent Carter.” Steve nodded at Peggy politely.

“Ma’am,” Bucky said as Peggy approached.

“Howard has some equipment for you to try,” the agent said as she pulled Tony closer, eyeing a lingering alpha with hungry eyes. “Tomorrow morning?”

“Sounds good,” Steve agreed.

“We didn’t really sneak out did we?” Tony asked Peggy after hearing her tell Steve that his father had some things for him to try.

“You did, I didn’t,” Peggy replied with a smile. “He wanted me to come tell Steve about the equipment. He didn’t tell me to take you with me.”

“Then if I get in trouble, this is all your fault.”

The agent smirked as she looked back into the main room of the bar, seeing the soldiers and sailors go back to their drinking and singing. “I see your top squad is preparing for duty.”

“You don’t like music?” Bucky asked, attempting to get some sort of reaction out of Peggy.

“I do actually,” she said, turning to him with the same smirk. “I might even, when this is all over, go dancing.”

“Then what are we waiting for?” The brunet alpha stepped closer to Peggy with a swagger.

“The right partner… but I suppose I can fancy a dance with a soldier for now, if only to let these two have a dance together as well.” Peggy took the arm Bucky offered her, chuckling as Tony flushed darkly. “Oh eight-hundred, Captain,” she said to Steve just before she disappeared with Bucky.

"Yes, ma'am, I'll be there." Steve brought his attention back to Tony once his friends were gone. "That was smooth."

"I can't say I'm upset at her. She did save me from my boredom." Tony shrugged as he looked up at Steve. "But that was very smooth."

"Sorry I've been taking so long here. The guys know how to put away their drinks. I guess they're just recovering from having been held captive for a while."

"Have you drank any?"

Steve shook his head. "Alcohol doesn't affect me now, so there's no point in drinking for me. The serum prevents me from getting drunk."

"Well you may not be able to get drunk, but would you consider getting a drink with me?" 

"I suppose I could have one drink with you." The blond smiled as he wrapped an arm around Tony's waist and led him over to the bartender. "What are you feeling tonight?"

"Kentucky Tavern."

Steve nodded. "Whisky it is." 

The two soon had their drinks in hand and were watching those who were dancing to the music. Tony shuffled closer to Steve, almost leaning on him as his eyes caught sight of Peggy. She looked like she was at least trying to enjoy the dance with Bucky, though she didn’t look miserable. At least it was better than standing outside in the cold.

“So, did you ever drink much before the serum?” Tony asked Steve, taking a sip of his whiskey.

“No. I was too sick most of the time to even thinking about drinking." Steve shrugged, swirling around the liquid in his glass. "Now it doesn't affect me at all, so it's honestly pointless for me to drink except for getting the flavor."

Tony blinked. "Well I can't say I'm disappointed, to be honest. I just learned I have a designated driver every time I drink now."

Steve chuckled. “Guess I have to look out for my drunk omega now.”

“You’ll love it, I get really funny when I’m drunk. Or stupid. I’ve been told I’m both, so it’s a 50/50 shot.”

“I’m sure I can handle you when you’re drunk, Tony.” Steve wrapped his arm back around the omega’s waist and pulled him closer, kissing the top of his head.

“Don’t say that until you know first-hand what I’m like when I’m drunk.” Tony tipped back the rest of his whiskey and set the glass on the bar, requesting another round. “Not that I plan on getting drunk tonight. My dad would kill me if I came home drunker than a pirate all day at sea.”

“I’m more worried about what your dad is going to do to me. He told you to stay, and he’ll find out that you were with me, he’ll think this was all my plan. Not that I’m worried.”

“What’s he gonna do? Lecture your ears off?” Tony shook his head and grabbed his now refilled drink. “I doubt anything will happen to you.”

Steve shrugged, glancing at Peggy and noticing she was talking to Bucky. He smiled and looked back down at Tony. “Well, Peggy made a sacrifice for us to get to dance together. What do you say?”

“Oh I… I don’t know,” Tony said, shrugging. “Dancing is nice and all, but I don’t really dance all that much.”

“Would you consider at least one dance tonight with me? The music is nice, and we all seem to be happy.” Steve’s eyes softened, their gorgeous blue color captivating Tony as he looked up at the alpha.

“I… I guess one dance won’t hurt.”

Placing their drinks to the side, Tony and Steve made their way to the dance floor, which didn’t escape the attention of Peggy. She smiled as she watched them assume a normal dancing position and start to sway to the time of the music. The dancing was a bit stiff at first, but both seemed to relax after a bit and flow much easier. There was silence between them, just eye contact and physical touch as they danced. Everything melted away to Tony and Steve. It was just them, dancing to the music and looking at each other with nothing but pure love. God, the moment would have been so cheesy had it not been romantic to the point of Tony stepping closer and wrapping his arms around Steve, simply swaying as his head rested against the alpha’s chest. 

Tony closed his eyes and sighed happily as they danced. Feeling Steve rest his head against his own felt so good beyond words, Tony was glad he couldn’t find the words to describe just how happy he was. Dancing was far better than sitting in a chair watching his father work well into the night on some weapon that might not ever make it’s way to the public’s knowledge. Dancing with Steve was magical almost, which only made the omega step closer.

After several songs, Tony was holding back yawn after yawn and leaning heavily into Steve. He could honestly fall asleep in Steve’s arms, but he had to get back to his father. Howard would be upset if he stayed out any longer. Besides, Steve had to be at the base in the morning bright and early. He needed rest just as much as Tony did.

Stepping back, Tony opened his eyes and looked up at the blond. “We should probably head out for the night…”

"Yeah, I have to be back at the base in the morning. Plus your dad is probably wondering where you are."

Tony sighed, looking down at the floor. “I really don’t want to go back to our apartment tonight. I’d rather stay with you.”

Steve smiled and lifted the brunet’s head up with his finger, rubbing a thumb across the smooth skin on his chin. “Tomorrow night, I’ll see if I can get your dad to let me have you for the night.”

“Sounds like a date,” Tony said with a smile as Peggy and Bucky made their way over to the two.

“Got a date soon, Stevie?” Bucky smiled knowingly at his friend.

“Tomorrow night, by the sounds of it,” Tony said with a smirk.

“Well, I wouldn’t count on going anywhere tomorrow, especially if it keeps snowing,” Peggy spoke up, glancing out the front windows of the bar. “It’s picked up quite a bit.”

“We’d better get out of here if we want to make it to our beds tonight then,” the blond alpha said, taking Tony’s arm in his and starting to walk towards the door, pausing so they could grab their coats.

Outside was cold, but with their coats and closeness to each other, all four stayed relatively warm until they could grab a taxi. They all piled in and told the driver the different places they needed to go. Peggy was dropped off first, reminding Steve where he needed to be in the morning, and then the taxi was leaving. The rest of the drive was silent, Bucky sitting a respectful distance from Tony whille Steve wrapped an arm around the omega’s shoulders. All three watched the snow fall peacefully until they arrived back at the base, Howard standing outside with a disappointed expression.

Tony made eye contact with his father and sighed. “Hopefully I get all of the lecture from him tonight. He’s got more important things to focus on for you tomorrow.”

Steve shrugged as he got out of the car, letting Tony climb out. As much as he wanted to kiss the omega good night, he knew that would be pushing the limits of Howard’s patience. He opted for a simple smile. “Good night, Tony, Mr. Stark.”

Tony watched almost sadly as Steve got back into the taxi and waved at him as the car left. There was a sort of ache in his heart. Tony knew what it was. By all technical terms, Steve was Tony’s alpha, and when a bonded alpha and omega pair were separated, there would always be a pang of loneliness. Steve nor Tony had marked each other, but they had spent a heat together, and that by modern standards meant they were bonded. Tony and Steve had both accepted that, and they both understood that they wouldn’t always be with each other until the war was over. Steve would go places that Tony couldn’t follow, and Tony understood that. It just always hurt to see him go though.

Howard watched his son for a bit, clearly upset that Tony had slipped out with Peggy, but he was too tired to really care that much. Yawning, he looked at his watch. “Let’s go, I don’t want you catching a cold.”

“Yeah…” Tony sighed and followed his father to their car, not looking forward to another night alone.

* * *

Tony woke up the next morning to a knock on his door, shivering at the desk provided to him by the owner of the apartment building. His feet were uncovered, as was most of his body. It seemed that he had woken up in the middle of the night and decided that he didn’t need clothes to sleep in anymore.

Still dazed from sleep, Tony got up and stumbled to the door, opening it to find his father. 

“You look exhausted,” Howard stated, looking over his son. “And cold.”

“Decided it was too hot in here,” Tony said, yawning.

“Well, get dressed. I have to be at the base in 30 minutes.”

Nodding, the omega closed his door, wanting nothing more but to crawl back into bed and sleep more. He returned to the desk and looked over the scattered papers filled with drawings. A new design for Steve’s suit was all planned out. Tony must have gotten up in the middle of the night to draw it. 

Smiling, Tony moved to get some clothes on. He couldn’t wait to see Steve again and show him the designs he had come up with. Tony couldn’t stand another day seeing that horrible show suit that the blond had to wear most of the time, though his tour was officially cancelled, so Steve wasn’t going to be wearing the suit any time soon. Any other time he was going to be wearing the suit would either be heading into a Hydra base or out of one. If Steve was going to still be Captain America, he was going to go in style.

Tony quickly wrapped up his drawings and stuck them in his back pocket. His steps were light and cheery, showing his excitement to see Steve that morning before they got to business, to steal a quick kiss and a hug before work. Moving into the kitchen where his father was waiting, the omega kept a smile on his face. Despite being away from his alpha, Tony was about as happy as ever. After all, he was going on a date that night, so he had the whole day to prepare and get even more excited. Surely Steve was going to feel the same way for most of the day.

“I’ve got some toast and a couple eggs for us,” Howard said as he looked at his son. “Are you good with eating on the way? I’ve got to get to the base as soon as possible.”

“Yeah, let’s go.”

“What’s that you’re bringing,” the father asked as he wrapped up their breakfast and started towards the door.

“Just some sketches of a new suit for Steve. Figured since he’s got some down time now we can upgrade his costume to something more battle ready.”

“Were you up all night working on that?”

“Not all night,” Tony said, though his cheeks flushed because he was up most of the night, just not all of it.

Howard sighed as he locked up the apartment the two of them were staying in. “Tonight you need to get some rest.”

“About tonight,” the brunet started. “Steve wanted to take me out, if the weather is good.”

“He might be busy tonight. Depends on how long I need him.”

“There’s no way you need him for the whole day,” Tony said with a skeptical look as they exited the apartment building. 

“I might not, but the colonel might. I’m just the weapons designer, not an actual part of the military. I don’t know their schedule or what they may need from Rogers.” Howard waved down a cab to take them away to their destination.

Sighing, Tony climbed into the car after his father, scowling when the driver looked back at him in the rearview mirror and smirked.Tony hated alphas who thought they could get away with taking bonded omegas as their own.

“I hope they won’t need Steve the whole day. I’ve got my designs to show him, which are much better than his old dancing costume. I can’t wait to burn that thing.”

Howard ran a hand through his hair. “You’re too distracted by that boy… Don’t be disappointed when you can’t see him today. His world doesn’t revolve around you, you know.”

“Yeah, I know,” the omega muttered, looking out the window at all the snow that had fallen in the night.

Soon the two arrived back at the base early and ready to work for the day. Tony was probably too excited to be there, even if Steve wasn’t yet. He knew his alpha was going to be there soon anyways, all he had to do was wait and then he could show Steve his designs.

Tony stopped and thought to himself. He called Steve his alpha. The brunet smiled like an idiot as he entered the base with his father. God, if only Steve could see just how happy Tony was in that moment. Maybe he would smile and kiss Tony in front of everyone, showing Howard just how much they meant to each other. Maybe Steve would push Tony against the big table with the map on it and kiss him until he was practically lying on the table, shirt riding up while the big alpha had him trapped. Tony could almost feel just how hot he was getting, or rather how hot in his daydream he was getting. Looking up at Steve, seeing those intense blue eyes roaming over his body, stopping at the bare skin of his stomach showing, flicking back up to give Tony a look that sent shivers down his spine.

Tony could practically feel Steve’s rock hard cock pressing to his entrance, their clothing the only barrier keeping them from going all the way. He could imagine just how wet he would--or no, maybe he wasn’t imagining that part, he realized as he felt his underwear go damp and cling to his ass. He shifted both hands back behind him, as if he was simply walking with his hands folded behind him the way many high-ranking military alphas tend to do when they meant business or wanted to seem imposing. Then he glanced around, and deciding no one was paying attention to him, he quickly plucked at his backside to loosen his underwear before they gave him a major wet wedgie as he tried to calm his cheeks so they wouldn’t get annoyingly red. The last thing he needed was for anyone to know the state he’d worked himself up into--and the alphas would be the most likely to notice as they were able to smell it, he was sure.

Stupid scent. Only Steve was supposed to enjoy how he smelled when he got turned on by thinking about Steve and his strong arms and broad chest and--_ Not helping Tony Stark. Definitely not helping! _

He mentally slapped himself to attempt to salvage his dignity and reel in his thoughts to a better control. He was not that stereotypical omega, after all. Sex was great, but he wasn’t the kind to go walking along street corners in a little red number that advertised what he had to offer anyone with a nice fat wallet. He could remain professional in his alpha’s place of work.

Amidst Tony’s daydreaming, he had lost sight of his father completely, and it wasn’t until he was almost to Colonel Phillips’s office that he noticed. Steve’s voice caught him off guard, and once again he realized just how wet he really was, and just from daydreaming! God, he really needed to get a grip on himself. Wait until tonight, he told himself. They could be together all night, have sex until the sun rose the next morning. It was a wonderful thought, and one that once again didn’t help his situation. Tony hoped Steve could spare a few minutes to take him to some closet and fuck him.

“The omegas and beta women of America owe you their thanks,” a woman’s voice said as Tony got closer. “And seeing as they’re not here…”

Tony felt odd. Something wasn’t right, and he quickly discovered that something that didn’t feel right, that put a sour feeling in the pit of his stomach. As soon as he located the source of the woman’s voice, his heart sank. There in the corner of the office he had approached, a blonde private was kissing Steve right on the lips, and to Tony’s horror, Steve was kissing back. In a moment of panic, he suddenly felt his anger rise.

“Captain!”

Steve pulled away very quickly from the private with wide eyes and a look of horror. Of course Tony had walked in right at that moment, only to see him kissing the blonde. This was going to be hard to explain…

“If you’re finished, my father would like to see you,” Tony spat bitterly, crumpling up the designs for Steve’s new suit in his hand.

“Tony, this isn’t what it looks like,” Steve tried, only to be shut down very quickly by the brunet.

“Sure, and I’m just another omega that got claimed by an alpha that doesn’t care. Sure as hell following the stereotype, aren’t I?” Tony huffed and turned to leave, heading towards his father’s lab.

“Tony, she came on me, I swear,” the blond tried again. “You have to believe me.”

“You were kissing her back! Clearly you’re ready to help any needy pretty thing that comes your way begging for you to take them.”

“I didn’t want her, Tony, I was trying to push her away.”

“You’re just like all the other soldiers. You wanted to become one, and now you have.” Tony scoffed, throwing his empty hand in the air with another frustrated noise.

“I’m not like the others, Tony, and you know that. Besides, how do I know you’re not sneaking around behind my back while I sit here thinking you actually love me?”

Tony whirled around on Steve and pointed a finger in his face aggressively. “You don’t know a damned thing about me then, _ alpha _.” Those being his last words, Tony stormed away into the lab, leaving Steve to think about what he had said and regret every word.

When Tony entered the lab, he slammed his designs on the main table next to all the shields his father had been working on for Steve. That stupid alpha didn’t know when he was going too far, and he had very much crossed the line of respect for Tony. How dare he accuse Tony of cheating on him! Why the hell would he ever think that? Tony was loyal, had been for months now, and suddenly Steve kisses someone else once and blames it on the omega. Typical alpha behavior! Stupid alpha!

Tony kicked a scrap piece of metal as hard as he could, facing the door when his father stepped in. Howard took one look around the room, then raised an eyebrow at his son.

“Alphas are stupid and I never fucking want to talk to one ever again!”

“I won’t question what happened, but help me clean up your mess so Peggy and Colonel Phillips won’t be upset when they come to check out what I’ve got for Rogers.”

Grumbling, Tony helped clean the lab, his anger still high as he did so. How could Steve be so stupid? He guessed that even becoming an alpha even if you weren't born one made you become a stupid alpha anyways. What a waste of time. Tony had given so much to Steve that meant a lot, and all that was thrown away after Steve decided he needed something sweet the day after telling Tony they would go on a date.

"Stupid fucking alpha…"

When the lab had been cleaned, both Peggy and Steve came in, the alpha looking very upset and ashamed. Tony ignored them, opting instead to look over his designs angrily and consider tearing them up so they would never be used. He ignored a lot of the conversations that the three were having until Howard mentioned something about vibranium, which caught Tony's attention. One shield the older Stark had constructed was perfectly round, shiny, and was apparently made of the only vibranium that was available at the time. Tony was aware that Steve turned towards him with the shield in hand, and he lowered his eyebrows when Steve smiled.

"What do think?" the alpha asked.

Standing up from his seat and walking over towards his father, Tony shoved the design papers into Howard's hands then grabbed a nearby pistol and shot at Steve. He didn't have the intent to kill, but shooting did make him feel better.

When the room had quieted down, Tony stared Steve dead in the eyes, watching the alpha slowly come out from hiding behind the shield. It barely had scratches on it.

"Yeah, I think it works." The omega tossed the gun back on the table and left the lab.

Steve, Peggy, and Howard all looked stunned as Tony left. The omega had never picked up a gun in his life, and seeing him shoot at Steve had set them all on edge.

Howard looked down at the papers, noting the designs with a sigh. "Looks like I've got some ideas for a new suit to work on…"

"Yes, because I don't think Captain Rogers will be safe around Tony for a while," Peggy commented, shaking her head.

* * *

The date didn't happen at all that night. Tony was too pissed off at Steve to even want to go just for the food, and he really didn’t want to see the stupid alpha’s face either. He had hoped that shooting at Steve had discouraged him from coming by the apartment to try to make things up. However, knowing Steve, Tony knew he would try just that, and that really wasn’t something that Tony could handle for a while. He needed time to cool down, think about his options. Maybe he could just let Steve go quietly, forget they had ever been together and move back home to be with his worried mother again.

Sighing, Tony looked at the outfit he was going to wear to the date. It was nothing fancy, just some decent slacks that fit tightly around his butt and a simple button-up shirt with a vest to go over it. His tie was a nice red color with gold accents. It was a very nice outfit, one that Steve would have liked, but now everything was ruined, and all because Steve had chosen to kiss some random beta blonde that had crawled all over him.

Since he was home and didn’t plan on going anywhere, the omega changed into more comfortable clothes; a soft t-shirt and warm pants, plus some socks to keep his feet warm on that cold day. He moved out of his room and went to the kitchen where his father was making dinner. The perks of having a parent that was a beta.

“What are you making?” Tony asked, opening a cabinet and looking at the boxes of cereal they had, considering a snack before his meal.

“Meatloaf,” Howard replied. “I take it you will be joining me tonight.”

“Yeah. A night in sounds better than my original plans.” Tony grabbed a box of Cheerios, a new cereal that had come out towards the beginning of the war. He poured himself a small bowl and started snacking.

“I’d ask what happened, but I don’t think that’s appropriate conversation for now.”

“I’d rather not talk about it. Alphas are stupid, no matter how they became alphas. Naturally or by serum, they’re all the same.”

“I think I can agree with you on this one thing. I’d rather see them all be brought down to equal levels as everyone else. They’re too high in society and have too little expected of them. Find an omega, settle down, have a family, forget about your family and find a younger, prettier omega that catches their eyes.” 

Tony sighed, deciding he wasn’t hungry enough to snack on cereal. “I thought I finally found an alpha I could be with, but then he just goes and kisses that damned beta girl like she was his savior.”

“I thought you didn’t want to talk about it.”

Tony slammed his hands onto the table with a frustrated noise. “I can’t believe he kissed her back! She’s just a beta, she wasn’t even that attractive!”

Howard raised an eyebrow as he transferred the meat in his hands to a pan to put in the oven. “Maybe it’s time to move on, then. Find someone back home that you can stay safe with.”

“I guess, but… I don’t---”

Tony didn’t get to finish his sentence before there was a knock on the front door to their apartment. Both Starks looked towards the door before Tony got up and went to open it, seeing as his father was arms deep in a meatloaf.

To Tony’s surprise and much disliking, Steve was there at the door, still in his army suit and a bottle of Kentucky Tavern in his hand. Of course.

Tony looked up at Steve and frowned. “I don’t want to talk to you.”

“I know, but please give me a chance to explain what happened earlier.”

“Why should I? You decided a blonde beta took your fancy today rather than the omega you’ve been seeing for months now.”

“Tony, please…”

“Let the man in,” Howard said. “It’s cold outside and I don’t want to pay an extra large heating bill this month.”

Reluctantly, Tony stepped to the side so Steve could walk in. The brunet probably slammed the door closed a little too hard, but surely his father understood. “I still don’t want to talk, so don’t think that the bottle of whiskey you brought today is going to do anything.”

“I knew it wouldn’t, I just thought you might like a bottle… It looks like I won’t be around for Christmas this year and I still wanted to get you something, so…”

Tony inwardly screamed. Steve got him a fucking Christmas present. God, this alpha was getting on Tony’s nerves really fast.

"Figures," the omega replied in a bitter tone, going back to the dining table and sitting down.

"Since you're here, Captain Rogers," Howard said, "Would you care to stay for dinner?"

"If that would be alright," Steve said, moving to set the bottle of whiskey on the counter next to the sink.

"Tony might not like it, but it's cold out, and anyone deserves a warm meal, even wrongdoing alphas."

Steve sighed and looked back at Tony. "Can we talk, Tony? In private?"

"What in god's name makes you think that I want to be alone with you right now," Tony spat.

"I don't think you want to be alone with me, but I need to clarify what happened today."

"Ugh, fine." Tony threw his hands up in the air as he stood up, heading back to his bedroom. "If you try to make a move on me though, I'm kicking your ass out and dumping you."

“Dinner will be ready in half an hour,” Howard called after the two before they disappeared behind Tony’s bedroom door.

As soon as they entered, Tony slammed a picture frame down on its face, hiding a picture of the two of them smiling and hugging. Tony loathed that picture as he sat down at his desk, crossing his arms and staring at the blond alpha as he sat opposite of him on the bed. “I’m not going to forgive you any time soon, I hope you know.”

“I know,” Steve said, looking at the floor and fidgeting with his hands. “I know you probably will choose not to believe any word I say, and I understand. If I was in your position, I’d feel the same way.”

“Nothing you say right now is going to make me feel better, so just get it over with.”

Steve sighed. “What you saw was far from the truth. The private was talking with me about how I saved all those soldiers and she was getting uncomfortably close with me. I told her I was taken, but she refused to listen to me. Next thing I knew she was kissing me, and… yeah I kissed her back, but it was because I was thinking of you.”

Tony scoffed. “How cheesy. Blaming kissing some random beta on thinking about me, the omega you’re bonded with and have been in a relationship with for months now.”

“I know it sounds bad, but I really was thinking of you when she kissed me. To be honest I was thinking of you all morning, and when she kissed me I… got carried away."

The brunet sat in silence, his anger rising once more. "Steve, we're at a point in our lives where alphas and omegas are settled down and not playing around anymore. We're both 25 years old. Others our age would already be married and have kids. If you want to behave like you're 16 again and play around with other partners, let me know, because I don't want to be in this relationship anymore if that's the case."

Steve looked up at Tony with wide eyes. “N-no, I want to be with you still, Tony. I know I messed up, and I… I want to fix this.”

“Then grow up, act like the 25 year old alpha you are and take responsibility for your actions instead of blaming them on the omega you’ve been dating.” Tony stood up and looked down at Steve, his expression not as hard anymore, but still not happy. “Prove to me you still want this relationship.”

“I will, I promise. I’m sorry about what I said earlier, accusing you of cheating on me. I panicked because you saw me with the private.”

Tony sighed. “I was excited to see you. I had new designs for your suit to show you, we were going to get you a new shield, then we had a date planned, plus whatever else would follow afterwards. I let my mind wander when Dad and I got to the base. Then I saw you with her… and all that happiness left me in a mere second… It hurt…”

“I’m sorry, Tony…”

The brunet shook his head. “I won’t forgive you so easily. I’m still convinced you aren’t ready to settle with me, so give me some time to think…”

Steve nodded, looking down on the floor again. “I’ll make this up to you.”

“You’d better. I’d hate to lose the one alpha I actually love to a private that isn’t even that pretty.” There was a hint of a smirk on Tony’s lips, though it was short lived, and Steve barely saw it when he looked back up.

“Don’t worry about her. I didn’t like how she didn’t respect that I was in a relationship already.”

“Right… Just don’t fuck up again. And give me a day or two before you try anything. That includes trying to kiss or hug me.”

“Nothing?”

“Absolutely nothing. I’m still upset that you kissed her back.”

Steve nodded in understanding. He’d suggest a make up date later on if Tony decided to forgive him. Hopefully before Christmas came around, but if Tony needed longer, Steve was willing to wait. He’d wait a hundred years if that was how long it took. He was going to prove that he wanted Tony still and was going to act like an adult.

Tony returned to the picture frame he had slammed down and picked it up, running his finger over a crack in the glass he had created. He sighed and set it upright. “I hope this war ends soon. You won’t be distracted by any others who try to take advantage of you.” 

Steve watched as Tony left his room, leaving the blond by himself. He knew he had fucked up, but at least they had talked things through a little bit. He just had to wait, and he had to agree with Tony. Steve wished the war would be over soon, because having a family with the spunky omega he had fallen in love with sounded like the best thing in the world. Hell, just getting to propose to him and marry him sounded amazing, getting to mark Tony as his own and fill him up with his kids.

The alpha flushed when his mind came to those latter thoughts. Now was definitely not the time to get excited. He willed himself to calm back down before he returned to the kitchen, the smell of a fresh meatloaf filling his nostrils. 

“There you are,” Howard said to Steve as he walked in. “Dinner is almost ready, so claim a seat.”

“Thank you, Mr. Stark.” Steve sat down next to Tony, briefly glancing at him before focusing on Howard putting everything on the table. “I hope it wasn’t too much trouble that I dropped by unexpectedly.”

“No, Tony and I weren’t going to eat all of this tonight anyways, and who knows if we’ll be around tomorrow to eat the leftovers?”

“I haven’t had a good warm meal for a while anyways. Thank you for the invitation.” Steve smiled at Howard as the meatloaf was placed on the table.

“Well, just don’t expect to be invited in every time you come over.” The older man sat down with a groan and started dishing out their meal.

Steve nodded, choosing to stay silent for the rest of dinner until he bid the Starks good night.


	6. Chapter 6

Christmas came and went with Steve being gone and Tony being left in London. The omega was having a ton of time to think over what had happened with Steve, and he had basically come to the point of forgiving Steve. It took time, but he really didn’t want to lose Steve. They had been together for such a long time already, most couples in their position would already be married and have a kid on the way. But Steve and Tony were a special pair to say the least, and with Steve being Captain America still, Tony couldn’t really do much but sit back and wait for the blond to return, which was always stressful. Tony didn’t ever have a way of communicating with Steve, and Howard was absolutely against Tony ever going on missions with the blond, especially if they were taking down a Hydra base, which was what the mission was that took Steve away during Christmas.

Sighing, Tony stared at the tree he had put up with his father in their apartment. It was New Years Eve, and their tree was still up. It wasn’t a huge deal. He had offered to take it out while his father was at work all day, but Howard had shut that down quickly.

Tony was told to stay in the apartment that day, Howard claiming that the weather was too bad and he didn’t want to have to worry about his son in case something happened. It was fine. Tony could stay warm inside and work on some more designs. The new uniform that Steve had was dashing to say the least. The strap over the shoulder, the leather gloves, the gun holster that went around one thigh, those were Tony’s favorite parts of the uniform. Honestly there wasn’t a single alpha that could make the uniform look better, which Tony prided himself in.

Tony caught his thoughts wandering again, which seemed to be happening quite a lot. Living with his father, it was hard to properly take care of heats when they came. Howard still didn’t know just how intense a relationship his son was in, which was honestly a miracle by any means. Tony was surprised his father hadn’t figured it out yet, because sometimes Steve couldn’t help kissing Tony right in front of everyone and it was hard to ignore how red the omega’s face was after being kissed. Nevertheless, Tony and Steve’s sexual relationship was still a secret to Howard and Maria Stark. 

Speaking of Maria, Tony missed her dearly, though he really couldn’t go home to her. Howard was stationed in London for at least six more months before he would be given leave to return home for a short time. Steve would still be in Europe by the time Howard got his leave, which Tony didn’t like. Maybe he could make an excuse to stay with the alpha, but he doubted it would work. Howard really wanted to get his son home anyways, and the next leave he had, he was sure to take Tony by the ear and drag him back home to his mother. Not the most ideal situation, but at least Tony would get to see Maria again. It had been too long since he last saw her…

There was a knock on the front door, which startled Tony enough to tear him from spacing out. Shaking his head he headed to the door and opened it. Bucky was behind the door, smiling and bowing his head to the omega. 

“Mr. Stark.”

“Bucky, you’re back.” Tony smiled and hugged the alpha, glad to see his friend back from the latest mission. “I assume this means Steve is back too?”

“Yeah, he had to get to base though. Something urgent that Colonel Phillips wanted to talk to him about, so he sent me here to pick you up and bring you to base. I hope that’s okay.”

“Well, my dad did tell me to stay here today because of the weather… But if Steve is here then to hell with that.” Tony smirked and rushed to his bedroom to change. He was back at the door with the apartment keys in hand quicker than Bucky had time to process the whole thing. “Let’s go!”

Chuckling, Bucky watched the omega excitedly lock the door to the apartment and rush outside. He understood at least a little why Steve had taken a liking to Tony. It was very obvious now; the omega was an energetic guy when he was happy, and a real joy to be around. Bucky had heard about the little spat that happened when Steve had been caught kissing a beta, but to him it looked like Tony had gotten over that and was very ready to see his alpha again.

The ride to the base felt agonizingly slow to Tony. He was practically bouncing in his seat as Bucky drove them through the snow, though watching London go about the busy day despite the weather was entertaining. Not as entertaining as seeing Steve again, of course, but still interesting.

The base entrance came to view finally, and Tony smiled wide, eager to jump out and run inside. He had to admit he was so excited to see his alpha again, but he was curious to see if Steve would still keep a distance to be respectful until he knew if Tony had forgiven him or not. The omega couldn’t wait to see. Either way, if Steve came running to him, Tony would go running just as fast.

Bucky hardly got the car parked before Tony was out and heading inside, slipping on some ice that made him lose his balance just briefly before he regained control and returned to his hurried pace. The omega ignored Bucky calling for him to slow down, because Steve was close! Steve was back in London and they could physically hold each other again, go on a proper date, spend New Year's Eve together and bring in 1944 the right way. With his thoughts running wild, Tony completely ignored everyone who spoke to him, including his own father who had gotten upset upon seeing his son away from the apartment. Tony didn’t stop looking around until finally, he saw Steve, facing away from him and hunched over a map, _ the _map that Tony had fantasized Steve fucking him on.

Tony kept his excitement in check as he smoothed down his coat and shifted his weight to one hip. “Captain Rogers.”

Steve turned his head to look at who had called his name, and instantly a smile broke out on his face. He ignored what had occupied him before and approached the brunet rather quickly, stopping just short of the omega, still keeping his respect for Tony’s space.

“Mr. Stark,” the blond greeted with a little rough undertone to his voice. “It’s wonderful to see you again.”

“I could say the same,” Tony said, eyes roaming over the body of his alpha.

There was silence between them as Bucky finally caught up to Tony. “You’ve got a fast omega,” he commented as he caught his breath. “Now go get a room before Howard decides to confront his son.”

Steve looked at Bucky with wide eyes before looking back at Tony. "I… we…"

Tony chuckled and stepped forward, popping up on his toes to kiss Steve. "I forgive you, you big dumb alpha. Just make sure I'm the only one you kiss, okay?"

Steve wrapped his arms around Tony and smiled. "Of course."

Getting a playful smirk, Tony pulled away and shed his coat, tossing it haphazardly onto the coat rack nearby and grabbing Steve's hand. He pulled his alpha away from prying eyes, into a room where hardly anyone ever went, then into a storage closet that was mostly empty. Once they were inside the closet, Tony locked the door from the inside and pressed up against Steve with a lustful look in his eyes.

"You know," Tony said as Steve started kissing his neck. "I wasn't like this like ten minutes ago."

"Well after not seeing each other for a while, I can't say I'm surprised you're like this." Steve caught Tony's lips in a heated kiss, hands roaming and pulling at clothing. 

"Honestly I wanted to do this the day I caught you kissing that private," the omega said in a rough tone. "But I made you wait, and I've made myself wait, and I can't wait any longer." Tony reached down and unbuckled Steve's belt while maintaining eye contact with those intense blue eyes.

Steve’s eyes widened as he leaned against the shelves in the closet. “You’re really eager to do this…”

“I’ve been waiting for two weeks to see you again, of course I’m eager.” Smirking, the omega sank to his knees and nuzzled Steve’s crotch teasingly.

“Are you trying to make up for not getting to spend Christmas with me?”

“Maybe…” Tony moved his head forward and latched onto the zipper of Steve’s pants with his teeth, pulling it down slowly while the alpha got more aroused by the second.

Steve lost his words for a moment as Tony tugged at the slacks he had just unzipped, the alpha closing his eyes and leaning his head back. "D-don’t get too carried away. I'm sure neither of us brought extra clothes."

Tony whined, clearly not wanting to worry about his clothes getting ruined by slick or cum. “I think you should just keep your mouth shut for now.”

“Sorry, I just don’t want your dad to get suspicious. He already isn’t exactly fond of the fact that we’re dating.” Steve brushed back some of Tony’s hair and sighed. 

“He won’t get suspicious if we do this quickly.” The eager omega released Steve’s cock from its cloth prison and groaned, taking it in before unzipping his own pants and shoving them off. If he was going to produce any slick, he sure as hell wasn’t going to get it on his pants. Thankfully there were things in the closet that the two of them could use to clean themselves after they were finished.

Towering over Tony, Steve groaned and grabbed the omega’s chin. “Come on then…”

Tony was quick to take Steve into his mouth, closing his eyes and taking in the alpha cock as far as he dared before he gagged a little. To be fair, Steve was huge, and Tony didn’t have the most experience with blowjobs. He did, however, know what made Steve feel good, and he started bobbing his head at a decent pace, which of course caused Steve to groan and tip his head back. The omega had to look up to see his alpha enjoying the attention he was getting. Tony smiled.

At some point Steve moved a hand to the back of Tony’s head, pushing him to go further and faster while his intense blue eyes locked onto his omega. One of Tony’s hands was pushing against Steve’s hip, the other reaching down to touch himself, because there was no way in hell he was getting out of that closet without also getting to come. The more he touched himself, the more slick he produced, and he was happy he had decided to discard his pants all together That would have been a mess that would have taken longer to clean up, and Tony didn’t want to be out of his father’s suspicious gaze for more than was considered not suspicious. 

Tony could barely get his lips around Steve’s not quite inflated knot, and he knew in the back of his mind that having Steve knot in his mouth was a bad idea… But still, it was entertaining to think of how that might feel. In the long run, his jaw would ache for hours, especially after being forced to keep an open position for an hour or so after the alpha knotted. But in the moment, it sure as hell would feel pretty good.

Steve was starting to move his hips on his own, despite having Tony’s hand on his hip. The hand was barely doing anything against him. The omega learned quickly to stop moving his head and let the alpha do the work, which he appreciated. His neck was getting tired from moving, so having Steve move was a relief for him. The longer they went, the closer Steve got to his orgasm, and the more he groaned out as he cupped his hands around both sides of the omega’s face. He watched as Tony quickened the hand that he was using to jack himself off, noting the little noises he was making around Steve’s cock. 

“T-tony, I’m gonna…” Steve jerked his hips forward a couple more times, and then he came with a stuttered breath.

Tony was quick to pull his head back enough so he was still on Steve’s cock but wasn’t close to the knot. He took in every drop of Steve’s cum, groaning as it hit the back of his throat. There was a hell of a lot of cum, but Tony took it all into his mouth and swallowed, making a face at the bitter taste once he took his mouth off of Steve. 

“God, you need to eat like cinnamon or something next time because that was disgusting.” Tony shuddered as he paused in stroking his own cock.

“Sorry, food rations don’t do much to help that.” Steve knelt down and pushed Tony’s hands away, taking it upon himself to get the omega to his own orgasm. It wasn’t much longer before Tony was breathing hard and leaning heavily against his alpha, moaning and letting out other little noises until he cried out and came in Steve’s hand.

“Good omega,” Steve purred, nuzzling Tony’s neck where he knew the scent gland was. That spot was so familiar to him already, but still he had not left a mark. Only when they got married would he do that and officially claim Tony’s as his.

Perhaps he needed to start thinking about proposing to Tony…

Tony sighed happily as he leaned back and looked up at the blond. “See? Little mess to clean up.”

Steve chuckled as he stood up fully, pulling Tony with him. “We still need to clean up a little. Can’t have any hint left over from this.”

“Right, my dad would kill me.” Tony picked up a roll of paper towels nearby and wiped himself off before handing them to Steve, putting his pants back on while his alpha cleaned up the rest of their evidence.

Once the two had cleaned up and made themselves look presentable once more, Tony ventured out of the closet and to a more open area, halfway searching for his father while Steve waited a few minutes to leave. They couldn’t risk leaving at the same time and looking _ that _suspicious. Thankfully they weren’t caught, and no one questioned anything, even if they did know the truth. No one was going to spread gossip about Captain America, especially not in the middle of the war. There were more important things to focus on than if the captain was sleeping with an omega with the Stark name.

With another Hydra base down, there were only a few left before the main base had to be discovered and taken down. Steve worked as hard as he could to locate the main base, but most of his efforts all ended with dead ends, no matter how hard he looked. He managed to always locate smaller bases and warehouses, but never any clues on the final base. It was beginning to get frustrating, but all their hard work had to lead to something eventually. Steve was determined to find information that would eventually give them a clue to the last location.

Tony was always watching Steve when he was home, or in London rather. It was beginning to feel like home the longer they stayed. The omega wanted it to feel like home too. He wanted Steve to be home more often, but knowing the supersoldier was one of the world’s best defenders during the war, he understood that Steve was not always going to have the time to be home. London always felt lonely when Steve wasn’t there, despite the millions of people living there. Tony also felt like he was useless while sitting at the base or at the apartment, just watching clips sent back from the missions or looking at photographs they had taken while in their spare time. He wanted to do something, be useful, or at least be sent home so he could help his mother out at the real home. 

Bringing in the new year didn’t go exactly like the two had wanted, but they did manage to sneak out close to midnight and hear Big Ben strike midnight while they watched fireworks light up the sky. Both had stars in their eyes as they watched, smiles on their faces and light spirits as 1944 finally arrived and hopefully made a promise that the war would end soon.

Almost as soon as their joy of the new year ended, Steve was sent on another mission to take down a larger Hydra base located in Belgium. While he was gone, Tony approached his dad and spent many days in the lab with him. Tony had a plan brewing, one that he was sure his father wouldn’t approve of, and maybe even Steve wouldn’t approve. It was a risky plan, one that Tony planned to bring up on the date the two would be having as soon as Steve got back to London. Thankfully he didn’t have to wait too long for his alpha to return, because Steve was hurrying home with the Howling Commandos as quick as he was allowed. Tony got word mere hours after the base had been destroyed that the soldiers were already on their way home. Quick and to the point, the brunet had thought to himself that day. 

In only a couple more days, the base was bustling with activity and the Howling Commandos roaming about until they weren’t needed and retired to the nearest bar, drinking to their heart’s content and putting it all on Steve’s tab. Typically Steve and Tony would have joined them for drinks, but instead they had a date planned, finally a date to make up for the one they lost when Steve had put a little roadblock in their relationship.

Tony looked at himself in the mirror and popped his collar up once more, adjusting the tie underneath and flattening the collar back down. He sighed, wishing his mother, or at least Peggy, were there to help him make sure he looked properly dressed for such a big date. At least the tailcoat he wore was flashy enough. It almost touched the floor, billowing out more like a dress than a tailcoat. Tony had grown to like it after Peggy had bought it for him, plus a matching pair of pants. The whole outfit was certainly formal, but it definitely had an omega tone about it. Usually Tony didn’t like most outfits omegas were sold, but this suit that Peggy had gotten him somehow was something he actually liked, despite the slimmed waist of the tailcoat that was meant to exaggerate his hips. 

A knock came from the door to the apartment, which Tony heard his father go to open. Tony quickly threw on some eyeliner and grabbed his coat before exiting his room, greeting Steve with a smile. “Captain Rogers.”

“Mr. Stark,” Steve replied, smiling back. “Are you ready to go?”

Tony nodded and hooked his arm around the one that his alpha offered, leaving the apartment while briefly saying goodbye to Howard. When the door closed behind him, he popped up on his toes and kissed Steve’s cheek. “I’m glad we finally got to go on this date.”

“Yeah, I really made us wait for it, didn’t I?” Steve chuckled as he pulled Tony closer. “At least we’re out of the sight of your dad, so we don’t have to hold back as much.”

“Hold back what? You planning on giving me a blowjob at the restaurant?” 

“No, but that doesn’t mean there won’t be some suggestive touching under the table.” The alpha flashed a smirk as they exited the building. 

A fresh layer of snow had fallen in the morning, but it had been reduced to slush after an afternoon rain came through, making the streets a mess that no one really wanted to drive or walk through. Thankfully the driver of the car that would be taking the couple to their dinner wasn’t going to complain about driving Captain America and his Stark around.

Steve opened up the door of the car so Tony could slide in, following his omega in and closing the door behind him. He told the driver where to take them, then pulled Tony close once more.

“So you told me this is a surprise where we’re going?” Tony said, looking up at the blond. “Can you tell me yet where exactly this date is?”

Steve shook his head with a smile. “Sorry, you need to wait to see it. Otherwise all the excitement would be taken out of it.”

Tony playfully pouted. “Alright, fine. I’ve waited for over a month, and I can’t even get a hint for where we’re going?”

“It’s a restaurant, I can give you that much.”

“So helpful. I hope you’re not planning on taking me to the dumpster of a high end place. I would have gotten dolled up for nothing.”

“Don’t worry, I would never take a Stark omega to go dumpster diving for food. Though maybe for spare parts for new projects…” Steve smiled at Tony as the omega flushed.

“I don’t do that often… I just like to look around, see what I can work with since my dad doesn’t really let me work on anything with him, even though I’ve asked him several times.”

“Well when this war is over, and we get married and move into a house together, I’ll let you have the garage as a workshop, so you can work on whatever projects you want.”

Tony was speechless for a minute. Steve was going to let him have his own workshop… and Steve wanted to marry him? An omega that was absolutely terrible at acting like one? That made Tony feel… well, how did he feel? He wasn’t sure. It was a mix of happiness and fear, and it was a mix that didn’t really settle well with Tony. He felt his heart rate rise a bit, but his odd feeling didn’t get in the way of him cracking a smile.

“You’d really do that for me? You’d let me have my own workshop?”

Steve nodded. “Of course. I know how much you want to work on your own projects, so I’d let you have one so you could be just as creative as your father without the restriction of being an omega.”

Tony smiled wider and threw himself at the alpha, hugging him tight. “You have no idea how happy that makes me, Steve… Thank you.”

Wrapping his arms around Tony, Steve chuckled. “I want you to be happy with me, and I know this is one way that I can make you happy.”

“Happy doesn’t begin to describe how I feel about this,” the omega said softly, taking in Steve’s scent slowly.

The two finally arrived at their date location, Tony looking up from Steve’s neck to see where they were. Boasting that it was established in 1874 stood the Criterion Restaurant, a place that Tony knew royalty and parliament members dined. Getting out of the car, the omega looked wide eyed at the entrance of the restaurant.

“Holy shit, Steve, this place is expensive… and hard to get a reservation at! How are we eating here?”

“Well, even in London, Captain America seems pretty popular. But I had to make this reservation back in December.”

Tony shook his head in awe. “I can’t believe we’re eating here.” He took Steve’s arm and let himself be led inside, marveling at the shining chandeliers and soft classical music playing. He barely heard any of the conversation Steve had with the man at the front desk about their reservation, then he felt like he was floating on clouds as they entered the dining area, Tony catching sight of several notable persons. There was a moment where he felt like he didn’t deserve to eat there among such high class alphas.

Steve pulled out a chair for Tony at their table, pushing it in when the omega had taken his seat. “You look like you’re not sure how to feel,” he said as he took his own seat. “Is this okay?”

Tony looked back at Steve. “Y-yeah, of course! God, this is… this is amazing. There’s so many famous people here, I… I feel like I should be working in the back washing dishes for these people.”

“Don’t feel that way,” the blond said, reaching across the table to take one of Tony’s hands. “You belong here just as much as anyone else does. People who aren’t famous make reservations here all the time.”

“Yeah, I just… I’m a Stark, yeah, but I’m also an omega. I see mostly alphas in here, maybe some betas, but no omegas.”

“I promise, you belong here like everyone else that’s eating right now.”

“Everyone is staring at me…” Tony tried to make himself look smaller, though he kept his gaze on his alpha, who made him flush by complimenting him so much. The omega thought his heart might burst in his chest.

“I bet they’re jealous of you,” Steve said as the waiter came up, asking what they would be drinking that night. 

Once they had a wine picked out that both would enjoy drinking, they began looking over the menu, sitting in happy silence while they decided what they wanted. Before too long the waiter came back with the wine and glasses to put it in, plus some water glasses. He took the couple’s orders and went back to the kitchen to get their meals started.

Tony sat back in his chair and looked around the room, smiling. “You said everyone is jealous of me. Are they jealous because I’m with Captain America and they aren’t?”

Steve tilted his head to one side. “No, I doubt that… I think they’re jealous because they don’t have me as a boyfriend and you do.”

Tony rolled his eyes with a chuckle. “I’m sure that’s it, and they’re not staring at me because I’m currently the only omega in here and I’m all dressed up.”

Steve shrugged. “You are nice to look at, especially now.”

Tony flushed again. “God, you’re full of compliments tonight. I might have to tell you to stop.”

“I doubt you’ll be telling me to stop any time soon.” Underneath the table, Steve pushed a leg forward and ran it up one of Tony’s.

The omega pressed his lips together, flushing even more. “I swear if you don’t stop you’ll be paying to replace this suit and this chair.”

“What can I say? It’s been months since I was able to share a heat with you.”

“That blowjob in the supply closet on New Years Eve wasn’t enough for you?”

“Not nearly enough.”

“Then you need to tell the colonel not to make you go anywhere until next month, because my heat is due to hit at the end of this month.”

“I’ll see what I can do.” Steve moved his leg back to its original position, getting a sigh of relief out of his omega. “We just need to make sure that Schmidt doesn’t get ahead of our attacks on his bases.”

“You’ve still been ahead of him, haven’t you?”

“Yeah, but we never know when he might get smart and surprise us. So far he hasn’t done so.”

Tony chewed on his bottom lip, staying silent until their food was finally brought to their table. Both alpha and omega thanked their waiter and started eating, striking up casual conversation between bites. At some point in the middle of their conversations, Tony felt the need to bring up his plan to Steve. He was prepared for the worst, to have his plan rejected, but he hoped that would not be the case. 

“So when’s the next base attack planned for?” he asked, planning on bringing the plan up gently to Steve.

“Should be mid next month, in Czechoslovakia,” Steve replied. “Why do you ask?”

“Well, I was just thinking of how many major bases we had left to take down. Is this the last major base before we find the last one?”

Steve nodded, his mouth full of food. He finished chewing before he spoke again. “We still don’t have much information on the hidden base, but we have a feeling it’s the Hydra headquarters.”

“So that should be the very last one. The last head to destroy? Or the body I guess. However that story of the hydra goes.”

“Yeah, we destroy the headquarters, we take down Hydra for good.”

“Good…” Tony sipped his wine, hand shaking as he worked up to his plan. “I uh… I hope this next mission won’t be too dangerous.”

“Why do you say that?” Steve was giving Tony his full attention, which only made the omega even more nervous.

“Well, I was thinking… since I stay at our base here in London all the time… maybe I could do more this time.”

A pause from Steve. “What are you getting at, Tony?”

Tony swallowed. “I want to go with you to Czechoslovakia.”

There was a lot more silence that Tony was anticipating, but he still didn’t like how it dragged on without Steve saying anything. The blond had gone back to eating, though Tony could tell he was tense by the way his jaw was set. When Tony thought he wasn’t going to get an answer, he drank more of his wine and started eating again. Somehow he knew he was going to get this reaction.

“You know you could get killed while taking down a Hydra base,” Steve said in a warning tone after some time. 

“I know, which is why I’ve been getting ideas for a suit of my own,” Tony said hurriedly, as if he had a short amount of time to convince Steve to let him go. “I’ve been watching my dad build this sort of reactor, or the beginnings of one that can harness a power similar to yours. I thought about incorporating that to the suit to protect me…”

Tony fell silent as he watched Steve’s reaction, or lack thereof. He hoped that he hadn’t made Steve upset, because that would have been two date nights that they ended with sour notes.

“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have brought it up,” the omega said as he looked down at his almost empty plate. Suddenly he didn’t feel like eating anymore.

“Don’t be sorry, Tony,” Steve said, his tone softer than before. “I know you don’t like being kept at the base here in London. But… I mean, you’ll need training in firearms and battle tactics. It’s a lot to go over in just over a month. Plus you need to make your suit too.”

“The suit isn’t the hard part,” Tony reassured his alpha, looking up with wide eyes. “I have everything planned out for the suit already, I just need a few nights to complete it, without my dad knowing of course. I can have it ready long before the next mission, and I’m a quick learner! I want to go through all that training.”

“Basic training lasts over two months, there’s no way you could learn it all in just one.”

“I want to learn. I’m willing to learn, and I want to fight. I don’t want to be a useless omega anymore.”

More silence, but from their conversation, Steve didn’t sound like he was saying no, which made Tony hopeful. He knew they didn’t have a drill sergeant around, but maybe the Howling Commandos could train him, get him ready for battle in one month. Plus there was the travel time between London and the Hydra base. More time for training up until they were on the front steps of the base.

“Please,” Tony said after the silence was too long again. “I can do this. I can get my hands on some suppressor pills so I won’t have a random heat during the mission. I’ll work hard, and the Howling Commandos can help me train. They’re not as busy as you or Peggy, so they’d have plenty of time to train me.”

“Training is really intense, Tony. You go nonstop for weeks, and your breaks are very short. Are you sure you can handle that?”

“I can. If I get those pills, I know I can.”

Steve sighed and rubbed his face, setting down his fork. He looked at his omega for a good minute before speaking again. “I can talk with Bucky and see what he thinks. In fact, I can get a meeting together with you, me, Peggy, and all the Howling Commandos, and we can talk this over.”

Tony’s eyes lit up as a smile graced his lips. “Really? You’re considering this?” 

“I will if everyone else thinks you can do this. I’ll need proof before I think you’re ready though.”

“I promise I’ll show you. I can do this.”

Steve nodded. “Then tomorrow we’ll get you a prescription for suppression pills and have the meeting.”

Tony got up from his seat and tackled Steve in a hug, or the best attempt at a hug he could give around the table and chairs. “Thank you, I won’t let you down, I promise.”

“Just to be sure,” Steve said. “You’re doing this to help in the war, not just to be by my side for the rest of it?”

“I wouldn’t have mentioned the pills if I didn’t want to fight.”

Steve nodded again, smiling this time. “Good. We can always use more good soldiers to join the fight.”

“What was is that Abraham had said before he died? The world could use more little guys in the fight?”

Steve chuckled. “Yes, yes it can.”

* * *

The next morning, both Steve and Tony went to the local hospital to get the omega a prescription for suppression pills. The doctor made sure to note all the risks that came with the pills, but Tony wasn’t too concerned. Yeah, there was a slight risk of not being able to have kids in the future, but his mind wasn’t on having a family. He wanted to help end the war, and this was his way of doing so. He and Steve walked out of the hospital confidently, Tony with a slight skip in his step as he knew he was that much closer to being able to fight in the war.

The meeting with the Howling Commandos and Peggy went about as well as it could have gone. All the soldiers were supportive and willing to help a new soldier out, while Peggy was sworn to secrecy as she supported her friends, especially Tony. Everything was going so much better than Tony could have even dreamed. The fact that he was being supported by so many made him feel that he really could go through with this.

The first day of training and taking the pills occurred the same day as the prescription was filled and the meeting occurred. Tony was started immediately on weight training, working on building up his muscles to handle the intensity of the coming days of training. He started with small weights of course, but eventually he knew he would be able to lift just as much as the rare beta soldiers could. His pills worked wonderfully as well, helping keep his omegan hormones at bay when his scheduled heat was pushed to the side. Without those hormones taking over his body, he was able to build up more muscle mass quickly. He soon saw improvements over the weeks he lifted weights, the second week consisting of both weight and endurance training. The once thin and slightly built omega soon turned into an omega ready to kick ass and take names. In most physical ways, he looked more like a beta, thanks to both his training and the pills. This was a new freedom that he hadn’t experienced before but was enjoying greatly.

The last two weeks of Tony’s training consisted of learning the firearms he would be shooting along with training scenarios that helped him work on his teamwork and coordination skills. Overall, Tony excelled greatly in his training, and Steve was seeing that every day he was able to watch. Watching his omega transform before his eyes from the little omega who sat on the sidelines to a full blown soldier was, to say the least, breathtaking. Tony was a little spitfire soldier when he was trained properly.

About four days before they would be heading to Czechoslovakia, Steve made his approval known for Tony to become a Howling commando. That gave Tony the green light to work on his own suit late at night when Howard wasn’t in the lab. Tony’s suit somewhat resembled all the other outfits of the Howling Commandos, donning the wings on the shoulders that associated them with Captain America. Tony’s suit had more dark red in it, not ideal if he should get injured, but it looked badass. On the chest was a little reactor that Tony had created, using his father’s blueprints as guides. It wasn’t perfect, but it provided power that would keep Tony safe and would allow him to keep up with the others if he ever fell behind. 

The night the suit was finished, most of the Howling commandos, Steve, and Peggy were watching Tony work. The reactor was having its finishing touches being worked on late into the night, and when it was finally finished, it lit up with a blue glow that filled the darkened lab. Everyone was in awe of the reactor, something that looked like it didn’t belong in the 1940’s. Tony held it up and admired his work, silently apologizing to his dad for completing the reactor first. 

“It’s done,” he said as he locked the reactor into place on the chest piece of his suit. With it being completed, Tony put on his suit, showing off how it looked to everyone in the lab with him. His suit consisted of the dark red chest piece with the glowing reactor, straps that went over his shoulders to hold ammunition, a utility belt that went over the bottom of the tunic that fit under the chest piece, cargo pants with some armor on the outside of them around the thighs, and boots that were about knee high that were plated with armor, pieces stripped from the old shields that Steve hadn’t chosen. The very last piece of the suit was a mask that covered his nose and mouth, painted in similar light and dark red stripes as what were painted on the chest piece. 

All Tony was missing was his firearms and a battlefield. 

“Amazing,” Peggy said, expressing how everyone else was feeling.

“You really are a genius,” Bucky commented with a smirk. “I think he’s ready, Stevie. What do you think?”

Everyone looked hopefully at the blond alpha waiting to hear his response.

Steve looked at Tony, noting the fire in his eyes that wasn’t there a month previous. That was when he knew Tony was ready and could handle the battle. He nodded. “He’s ready.”

The Howling Commandos cheered as they crowded around the omega soldier, congratulating him on completing a very basic version of basic training. All excitement aside, Tony was out for blood now, and it wouldn’t be long before he was in Czechoslovakia fighting beside his alpha and finally feeling useful.


	7. Chapter 7

Tony couldn’t say that he felt absolutely terrible for just leaving his father a note that he was headed to Czechoslovakia, but he didn’t feel great about it. He was sure Howard was attempting to get ahold of Steve, but as far as Tony could tell, Steve wasn’t answering any calls he might be getting, which Tony appreciated greatly. Besides, it seemed like Howard hadn’t noticed any of the training Tony had been doing to get ready for the mission. That was a good thing, but Tony was sure that when he got back, he was getting a stern talking to.

Nevertheless, Tony didn’t regret any of his decisions. He was happy to finally be helping win the war, even if that meant having to go behind his father’s back. He wasn’t sitting on his butt all day waiting for something exciting to happen. Tony was going to the action rather than just hearing about it.

Watching the European countryside fly by while on the plane, Tony sighed, playing with the flap of red material he had attached to the chest piece of his suit. It covered up the glow of the reactor so he could go stealth easier. It was a last minute addition that Bucky had brought up after noticing just how bright the reactor was. Tony was glad the alpha had noticed that. Otherwise he would have been discovered far too easily during battles.

“Nervous?” 

Tony looked up at Steve, who had asked the question. He shrugged. “Maybe. I think I’m more worried that the real thing won’t be like training.”

“In a sense, yeah, it’s different. Your enemy won’t hesitate to shoot at you even if your down on the ground.”

Tony shivered. “I hope that won’t happen… but I know what I have to do, and I won’t hesitate to give my life up if it’s necessary.”

“I know…” Steve wrapped an arm around Tony’s waist and pulled him close. “I sure hope that doesn’t happen though.”

Tony nodded, resting his head on Steve’s shoulder and closing his eyes. Steve’s scent was still comforting, even if Tony’s heat had been put on hold. He was just glad that he had Steve there in case he chickened out. Besides, Tony had barely seen a true battlefield. He had only seen what it was like in a camp and how beat up those who managed to return were. Imagining any of that happening to himself didn’t leave a pleasant feeling in his stomach, but if worse came to worst, he would do anything to keep those he loved safe.

It wasn’t long before their plane landed on a small runway, ready to unload all the supplies the Howling Commandos would need for their mission. Tony helped out as much as he could, carrying most of the lighter things, but only because the alphas could carry the really heavy things, which were far heavier than what Tony had ever worked with during his weight training. He was still an omega after all. Despite that, he worked as hard as everyone else to set up a temporary camp, not having to worry about if he might go into heat during the mission. The pills he was taking were working like a charm, and he nearly forgotten that he was supposed to have a heat due that month. 

After the camp was set up, everyone gathered around a map and pinpointed where they were headed and what their plan of attack was. Tony, Steve, and Bucky were to be right at the front of the pack while the others would stay back and wait for the right signal to come out and attack full force on the base. 

Settled on a plan, the Howling commandos dispersed for lunch, eating their rations whilst talking amongst themselves always being on guard in case a surprise attack happened to sneak up on them. Tony of course stuck by Steve’s side, going around with him and making sure that everyone was happy and ready to fight later that day. After doing rounds, Tony and Steve settled down to eat their own lunch, which Tony had wished he had made sandwiches for everyone rather than eating the rations. Still, this was part of army life, and if he was to be a soldier like the Howling Commandos, he had to eat like one, no matter how tasteless the rations were.

“When you, Bucky, and I go out there to head to the base, I want you just in front of us,” Steve said around a mouthful of food. “That way you can keep sharp eyes at the front while Bucky and I cover your flanks and rear.”

“Hopefully my shielding mechanism within the reactor works if I get shot at.”

“If you do get shot at Bucky and I will most likely get in front of you and shield you as you shoot back.”

“The armor in my suit should be protective enough. It’s strong enough to repel bullets. Mostly.”

“Yeah, mostly. I don’t want the one time it doesn’t work to happen on the battlefield.”

Tony shrugged. “Too bad there’s not another bullet proof shield in our possession.”

The alpha sighed. “There needs to be a bullet proof material in general.”

“Maybe I’ll invent that so you don’t worry so much about your little omega soldier.”

“I’d hate to be the person you test that out on,” Steve said with a smirk.

“Eh, I’ve shot at you before, you can handle being a test subject for a bullet proof material.” Tony chuckled as he took a drink of his water.

“I just need to not make you angry again.”

“That too. You really pissed me off that day, you know.”

“I know. I didn’t get to touch you for a month.”

“You deserved it.”

“I did.”

Tony leaned into Steve again with a chuckle. “God, I’m glad you let me do this. Having you gone for missions three months in a row really sucks.”

“Good thing I’m here to talk to you. You’d get bored so easily.” Steve smiled down at his omega.

“Whatever, I’d just pick up the nearest radio and see if I could turn it into a bomb.”

“Not what I’d do with it, but I respect your choice.” Steve wrapped an arm around Tony’s shoulders and leaned his head against the brunet’s. 

Tony sighed, shifting closer. “I’m glad the others don’t mind us. Some time together like this is nice. Especially before a battle.”

“I have to agree with you on this one,” the blond said. “Some quiet before the storm is always nice, but you know things are going to get bad soon.”

“Not bad enough that one of us gets hurt, I hope.”

“I think we’ll be fine if we follow the plan. We haven’t lost one of the commandos yet to these battles, so don’t be the first.”

Tony rolled his eyes. “I don’t plan on it.”

“Good.” Steve sighed slowly and looked around at the other commandos, wishing they had more time to just relax, but the Hydra base was too important to wait too long to destroy. The sooner they took it out, the better, and all the commandos knew that.

When everyone had finished their lunch and had prepared their equipment, Steve rallied them all together, going over the plan one last time before he led them out of the camp. A silence fell amongst the pack of alphas, all of them switching over to soldier mode and watching each other’s backs. Even Tony slipped into a similar mindset, holding his gun close to his body while glancing around while at the front of the pack. Silently they moved through the woods, moving as one machine when Steve and Bucky gave out orders for the others to spread out. Soon the pack was forming a large line behind Tony, Bucky, and Steve, letting them take control of the mission and guide them to the base.

A cool breeze blew through the trees as the Howling Commandos made their way through the woods. The ground was covered in a thin layer of dead leaves that hardly crunched as the group walked over them. Thankfully for them it was also a little foggy, the woods caught between winter and spring, which helped cover the Howling Commandos better than previous missions. As they got closer to the base, they could see more and more vehicles parked in the woods as opposed to next to the gates of the base.

Looking around Steve halted, tapping Bucky and Tony lightly to get them to stop as well. Instinctively the three stood with their backs to each other, looking around for any signs of movement from the vehicles. There was nothing that they could see, but it was still suspicious that there weren’t any Hydra agents just milling about the entrance to the base. Then there was a small metallic sound, a sound that caught Tony’s attention and drew it towards one of the cars near him. Hurried footsteps followed soon after, to which Tony raised his gun and moved to watch the fleeing Hydra agent. He was going to shoot, until he noticed the grenade right next to his feet.

“Oh shit, grenade!” His feet slipped as he hurried away from the vehicles as fast as he could. Steve and Bucky were quicker than he was, and he was surprised when he felt his feet leave the ground as the two alphas picked him up. 

Behind them, the grenade went off, turning the nearest vehicle into a fireball. The whole effect snowballed until each of the vehicles turned into giant balls of flames. The last one was so close to the three running back to the rest of the commandos, Tony felt himself jerk forward from the power of the explosion. Thankfully the three were able to get back to the others before hundreds of Hydra agents popped out from nowhere and started shooting. The Howling Commandos took shelter behind trees, shooting back when they could, but they were given very little opportunity to shoot. Stuck behind the trees, Tony made a frustrated groan. This wasn’t how he thought his first fight against Hydra was going to go.

“Steve you go left, I’ll take the right,” Bucky shouted out. “We’ll see if we can flank them and get their focus on us, then the rest can make a running front towards the base and let loose.”

Steve nodded and was about to leave when Tony tugged at his sleeve.

“This would be a good time for me to try out my suit’s shielding ability,” the omega said in a serious tone. “I can help draw fire away from the other commandos.”

“No, Tony, we know that thing isn’t stable yet.”

“We don’t know that until we try it out.” Not waiting for an answer, Tony rushed out from behind the trees and tore away the cloth that covered the reactor. Holding his gun in one hand, he sprinted forward, twisting the casing of the reactor so the shielding mechanism would turn on. Once he turned it, he started shooting at the Hydra agents, taking cover behind trees as he slowly made his way back to the gates of the base.

“Tony, you’re insane,” Steve called out while going left, keeping up with Tony in case the shielding mechanism failed so he could move in to protect the omega.

Pulling his mask up, Tony smirked as the shield went up around him, allowing his own bullets to shoot through but blocking the ones coming towards him. He let out a whoop of excitement as he charged forward, taking down five Hydra agents with a single sweep of his gun.

Steve and Bucky came flying in on both sides of Tony, pushing back any Hydra agents that got too close. They gave a signal to the rest of the commandos to charge forward with them, and out of the fog came a line of men with guns blazing. With all the gunfire suddenly focused on the Hydra agents, it was hardly much of a battle until they got the gates, where a tank was waiting to fire and blast the Howling Commandos out of existence. When the first shot was fired, the commandos dove out of the way, Tony diving forward before he shot down more Hydra agents.

With all the commandos scattered, it was easier for the Hydra agents to single others out, and of course they chose Tony to focus on since was clearly the new one. Tony was quickly surrounded, guns aimed at him as he looked around. They were shouting at him, mostly in German, but he paid their words no attention. He had a trick up his sleeve to get him out of the situation. Now if only Steve would look over and see the trick be put into motion...

He should have felt panicked. He should have given out and submitted to all the alphas growling at him, but Tony was stronger now. He could resist those savage growls that demanded he obey, and he almost felt like he could growl back for once. He tried it out, letting out a growl from the back of his throat, though admittedly it wasn’t as strong of a growl as he had wished. It came out more like a weak gurgle, the mask around his mouth and nose not helping in the slightest.

Laughing, the Hydra agents surrounding Tony stepped closer and readied their guns, which made Tony fall back slightly into his usual omega nature. He shook and frantically glanced over to Steve. _ Focus _ , he told himself. _ Don’t panic, call him over, go through with the plan _. Grabbing a grenade off of his belt, Tony stood up straighter and widened his stance.

“Alpha!”

Steve’s head whipped around to Tony quicker than the agents could blink, and before they realized what was happening, Tony was smirking and preparing for Steve to come barreling towards them. 

Steve charged towards the agents surrounding Tony, baring his teeth and growling. The Hydra agents all turned their attention to the captain, allowing Tony to bend his knees and build up strength to help him jump. As soon as Steve was next to the agents, Tony jumped straight up, pulling out the pin in the grenade. He tossed it down to where he had been standing seconds before, and then he felt himself be caught by Steve, the captain having jumped over the agents as soon as he had seen Tony jump. They landed on the barrel of the gun on the tank nearby right as the grenade went off, the agents crying out and falling to the ground below them.

“Nice one,” Steve said as he and Tony ran up the barrel and towards the hatch. 

“Thanks,” the omega said, catching the bomb that Bucky was throwing up to them as Steve threw open the hatch and grabbed who was driving inside, tossing them out to the side. 

Tony slammed the bomb into the hatch and started running away, back down the barrel with Steve hot on his heels. The super soldier was faster than Tony by far, and he was able to grab the omega right as they jumped off the tank, the bomb inside detonating and sending them flying back towards the woods. The explosion was huge and hot, wiping out most of the base and Hydra agents. The heat was so intense that Tony felt like his skin was going to burn off, despite being mostly clothed. The sound the explosion created was deafening, and as Steve and Tony landed roughly near some trees, the brunet found himself covering his ears as best as he could. There were so many things going on at once that he thought he might pass out from the intensity of it all.

And then the noise calmed down and the heat grew cold. All that remained was the almost calming sound of everything on fire. Tony opened his eyes and looked around as best as he could, sitting up and grunting as his side gave him a fit of pain. It felt like the rib he had broken months before had cracked once more.

Beside him Steve also sat up, calling out for the commandos to sound off. All of them responded, much to Tony’s relief. The couple’s eyes met each other as they both caught their breath, and then smiles broke out on their faces. As they smiled, the shielding mechanism on Tony’s suit finally gave out, sparking a couple times before disappearing completely. Tony chuckled.

“I told you it’d work,” he said, tapping the reactor on his chest.

“Yeah well, don’t ever do that again.” Steve also chuckled as he pulled Tony into a hug, which ended short when Tony sucked in a pained breath.

“You almost gave Steve a heart attack,” Bucky said with a smirk as he walked towards the flaming chunks of tank. “Commandos, search through the parts of the base not burning and gather any information on the last Hydra base.”

While the commandos hurried to extract information, Steve and Tony stayed back, keeping an eye on the trees in case other Hydra agents came for them. There were loads of words wanting to be spoken between the two, but they could wait until they got back to their little camp. For the time being they could exchange glances while they waited for the rest of the commandos. After a bit of waiting, the commandos returned with some papers in hand.

“We might have just found the location of the last base,” Bucky said, which of course caught both Tony and Steve’s attention.

“What? A map? Coordinates?” Steve stepped closer to Bucky, looking over the papers that had been recovered.

“The headquarters,” Tony said as he looked over the papers with his alpha. “We have the exact location of the headquarters.”

“Wow,” Steve said with wide eyes. He pocketed the papers. “Alright, burn down the rest of the base. You all know the drill.”

It wasn’t much longer before the entire Hydra base was burning to the ground and the Howling Commandos left to trek back to their camp. Steve and Tony hung at the back of the pack, taking guard once more as they walked. Being at the back also allowed them to reach for each other’s hands and hold tight, both glad they made it out alive. It may have been a short mission, despite being one of the major bases, but the tank explosion had taken care of most of it anyways. Tony had been thrilled either way, and he couldn’t wait to go on the next mission.

If his father didn’t kill him when they got back to London.

Tony sighed and looked at the ground. “I have a feeling I won’t be going on another mission for a long time. My dad is going to kill me.”

“If you think it’d help, I can go with you when you confront him,” Steve offered.

“I think that might make things worse to be honest.” The omega shook his head. “I almost feel like I shouldn’t have left him a note, but that was probably better than letting him figure it out on his own where I went.”

“Yeah, at least you told him what you were doing.”

“Maybe he’ll go easy on me when I show him I made the reactor before he did. Or he’ll be mad that I built it before him.”

“Hopefully not the latter option.” Steve squeezed Tony’s hand. “Don’t worry about it, you helped us take down the base that had the location of the Hydra headquarters. That’s got to count for something in his book, I hope.”

“You would think, but he gets really upset when I do things I’m not supposed to because I’m an omega. It’s not fair at all, but I guess I can deal with it until… well, I can deal with it.”

“Until what?” Steve asked, curious on what Tony was going to say.

“Nothing,” the brunet replied, flushing and looking away.

“No, you were definitely going to say something.”

“No I wasn’t.”

Steve raised an eyebrow with a smile. “Come on, tell me.”

Getting flustered, Tony pulled away from Steve and hunched over a little. “I wasn’t going to say anything. I was meaning that… I can deal with Dad until I move out.”

“And when are you planning on moving out? Sooner rather than later?” 

Tony made a vague gesture with his hand. “I mean, I’d like to move out and live in my own place.”

“Alone or with someone else?”

Tony glanced back at Steve, his face super red with his eyebrows low. “You’re a pain; doing this to me.”

The alpha chuckled, taking off his helmet. “So, you want to move in with someone. Let me guess, Peggy.”

“As nice as she is, there’s no way I could live with her. She’d be making me dress up like a pretty omega in a matter of weeks.”

“Okay, so not Peggy. You can’t move out with your mom because she lives with your dad, you’d never move in with Colonel Phillips…”

“Gross. That old alpha would never be the perfect roommate.”

“Oh, so you’re looking for the perfect roommate then?”

Tony whined. “Steve, let it go.”

“Well honestly the only perfect roommate I can think of for you is me,” Steve continued, ignoring Tony. “You couldn't possibly have meant that, right?”

“I… I did…”

Steve smiled and pulled Tony back to him. “Would it be a crime for me to say that I’d like that?”

“Really?” Tony looked up at the blond with wide eyes. “You wouldn’t think it’d be a bad idea?”

“Well, we’ve been together for this long, and we’ve spent a heat together. This relationship is pretty serious in my opinion. The next steps would be to move in together and possibly think about getting married.”

If Tony could have blushed any harder, he would have. “Yeah, I guess those would be the next steps in our relationship…”

“Unless that’s moving too fast for you,” Steve said gently, stopping Tony and putting a hand on the back of his head, looking into his eyes with an expression so soft that the omega whined again.

“I… I don’t know,” Tony replied. “I want all that… but at the same time we’re still in a war, and if something happened...It’d be really hard to move on.”

Sighing, Steve pulled Tony into a hug and held him tight. “I understand. When things get more stable, we can talk about this again.”

Tony nodded, hiding his face in Steve’s chest. “Sorry, you sounded like you were excited to move on with our relationship… but I’m too worried I’m going to lose you. I already worry about you when you go off on missions without me.”

“Don’t apologize, I understand, Tony.” The blond pushed his omega back slightly and made him look up. “The great thing about relationships is that there are two people to consider. If this is moving too fast for you, all you have to do is tell me, and I’ll slow down.”

Tony flushed a little. “This doesn’t sound like you’re talking about our relationship anymore.”

“Hey, you two are falling way behind,” Bucky called out to the couple as he approached them, having broken away from the rest of the pack.

“Sorry, Buck, we were just talking about some things,” Steve replied, smiling at his friend.

“Well, can it wait until we get to the extraction point? You should know better than all the commandos that we’re not safe until we’re gone.”

“Yeah, I know. We were about to jump back to the pack anyways.” Steve placed a hand on Tony’s shoulder and guided him back towards the pack.

The three were silent until they got back to their little camp. Tony couldn’t exactly control his thoughts very well as he helped pack up and get ready to move to the extraction point. It was hard enough not to glance over at his alpha and think of how they missed spending yet another heat together. Sure, the suppressants were working well and keeping his heat at bay, but as soon as they got back to London, Tony was sure that his father would take away the pills, and the poor omega would careen into a heat with him being totally unprepared. It wasn’t the most ideal situation.

However… the heat would happen after the mission, so Steve would be able to stay with Tony and join him in his heat. Steve would just have to be really discreet about it, since Howard still, to their knowledge, didn’t know that their relationship wasn’t purely romantic, but also sexual.

Sighing and pulling himself out of his day dreaming, Tony picked up a small box of medical supplies and carried them over to the wagon the other boxes were being stacked on. As much as he wanted Steve to join him in heat again, Tony knew that each time Steve joined him, they were risking being caught or having a pregnancy scare. Tony had heard of couples being so in the moment that they forgot to use protection, and of course it ended in pregnancy. It was a scary thought, though pregnancy couldn’t happen outside of heats. Still, having an unplanned pregnancy right now, well, it just wasn’t a good time.

“Hey, your eyes are glazed over.”

Tony jumped, smacking himself on the boxes. “Jeez, Buck, you’re so quiet when you walk.”

“Well you were staring off into space, to be fair,” the alpha said. “But you shouldn’t be lifting things. Steve said you cracked your rib again.”

“I’m fine, it’s just bruised, that’s all.”

Bucky rolled his eyes, grabbing Tony’s wrist and lifting it while also lightly punching the omega’s side. He sighed when Tony cried out in pain and jerked away his hand. “Sure, just bruised.”

“Why did you hit me if you knew it was cracked?!”

“To prove my point. Now sit down and rest until we’re ready to move to the extraction point, okay?”

Huffing, Tony sat down on one of the boxes. “Fine, but only because Steve will yell at me if I don’t.”

“Good boy.” Bucky smiled and pat Tony’s head. “And by the way, make sure you keep a neutral expression next time you fantasize about your alpha. It’s distracting otherwise.”

Tony went bright red and covered his face with a groan.

* * *

“Anthony Edward Stark!”

Oh, how Tony had come to loathe that voice. The voice of his father, fuming mad and face bright red to accompany the unnecessary volume that was only drawing more attention to the young omega. Honestly, Tony wished he could turn invisible and just not deal with his father’s wrath, but he was the one who had left only a note for the old man. He had made his decision, and now he had to live with the consequences. Tony felt very small in that moment, walking up to his father with his eyes trained on the floor. He halfway expected to get a slap across the face for what he did, and that would cause a confrontation between his father and all the Howling Commandos that would result in a lot of costly damages.

“Hey, Dad,” the omega said in a small voice, gripping the harness that held the reactor to his chest.

“You are in _ so _ much fucking trouble, young man. You have no _ idea _what you’ve just done.”

“I fought with my friends. Is that so bad?”

“Is that so bad? Is that _ so bad?! _ Tony, you just exposed yourself to the enemy. They know who you are now, you have an identity out there that Hydra is out for now. You’re on Hydra’s hit list now! They want to kill you!”

Tony winced at Howards sharp words, every one of them true. Tony had put himself out on the line and willingly made himself a target of Hydra. It was a bad situation to be in, but Steve and Bucky had protected him the whole time. Surely that could mean that they would keep protecting him, and Howard would be okay with that.

Wishful thinking.

“You’re an _ omega _, for christ’s sake!” Howard started pacing as he lectured his son. “You’re not a soldier, so you need to stop playing like one right now, or you will die. Hydra will not hesitate to kill you just because you’re an omega.”

A little growl built up in the back of Tony’s throat, which surprised him as much as it surprised his father. “I know, but I don’t care. I’m doing something that helps in the war instead of me sitting on my ass all day and just waiting for my alpha or my dad to come home to take care of me. I don’t want to live like an omega!”

“Well I can’t change that, Tony,” Howard spat back. “Our society doesn’t accept that. No one accepts that you want to be more than an omega. It’s a simple fact of life, boy. Omegas stay home, alphas go off to war. You shouldn’t have even come over to Europe in the first place! You would be safe at home with your mother right now, and I wouldn’t have to worry about you when you disappear for a fucking mission with no notice other than this letter you left me!”

“I couldn’t tell you what I was going to do, or you would have kept me here!”

“Of course I would have! Because you’re not safe out there! Young men your age are dying every single day out there in the battlefield, and I’m worried sick I’m going to see your name in one of those condolence letters that the colonel sends out.”

Tony shook his head, hot tears forming in his eyes. “No… no you’re not. You don’t care. If you did, you wouldn’t be greeting me with shouting and anger.”

“Tony,” Howard said in a warning tone. His hands were tight on his hips. “You don’t know me as well as you think I do. I care so much about you, and you scare me every time you pull stunts like this.”

“Why? Afraid the one who’s going to give you grandkids and continue the bloodline is gonna turn up dead one day and leave you without anyone to continue the family with?”

“That’s not why I’m scared,” Howard snapped. “You keep acting like you’re not an omega, and that will get you in trouble one day. I know you were training for something, but I didn’t say anything. I figured I would give you a chance to prove you were smart, but you really blew that.”

“Are you fucking kidding me?” Tony practically screeched. “Do you not see this thing on my chest?_ I _ made this. All by myself! It works better than you could have ever made it, because some of _ your _ calculations were _ off _ . But you don’t care about that. You’re just worried your omega son is gonna get himself killed in a war he shouldn’t be fighting in. Well I’ve got news for you, _ Howard _. I plan on continuing to fight. I’m going to keep fighting in the war and do what I can, because I know I can do more. I was meant for more than sitting at home and behaving like a good little omega. I won’t act like an omega if I can help it!

“And you know what? The suppressant pills I’m taking are working beautifully, and I’m going to continue to take them because they give me a sharp mind, they keep me focused, and I don’t have to worry about any more heats. They give me freedom, and I won’t let you take that away from me,” Tony added as an afterthought. He regretted it immediately.

“Suppressant pills? You’re taking suppressant pills?!” Howard’s face got very red with anger. 

Tony’s face went white as Howard started grabbing for his bag, clearly wanting to find those pills. “Dad, stop! They’re my pills, you have no right to them!”

“The hell I don’t. I’m your legal caretaker still! Anything you own is mine.” Howard clenched his teeth as he managed to pull Tony’ bag from his body, searching through while fighting back Tony’s hands. 

“Your name isn’t on there as my caretaker!”

Howard glared at Tony. “Whose name is on there then? It better not be your mother’s.”

Tony was silent, trying harder to get his bag back, but Howard yanked it away and quickly searched through before Tony had a chance to fight back again. 

When Howard found the bottle, he tossed Tony’s bag down to the floor with a grimace. He looked closer at the bottle, then scoffed. “You put Captain Rogers as your caretaker?! You know it’s fucking illegal to list a different person as your caretaker!”

“He takes better care of me than you do!” Tony jumped to get his bottle back, but Howard held them just out of his son’s reach. “Give them back! They’ve given me more freedom than you’ll ever give me!”

Howard’s eyes got wider, and he turned on his heels and made a beeline for the bathroom. “You don’t deserve these if you really think these give you freedom.”

Tony whined and chased after his father. “No, Dad, give those back!”

“No, Tony! If you depend on these for your freedom, then you’ll just end up putting yourself into a downward spiral towards disappointment.”

Tony kept tripping over his feet, his heart beating so incredibly fast in his chest. “Give me my pills back!” He reached out, just barely touching the bottle before his father pushed him away. He was starting to panic.

Howard moved too fast for Tony to keep up. It was seconds before they ended up in the bathroom, Tony trying desperately to get his pills back. Howard shoved him away roughly, making him fall to the floor, and then Tony watched in horror as the pills went down the drain of the sink, his father washing them down quickly. Just like that, the brief bit of freedom he had experienced had been taken from him. He felt like his legs were going to collapse underneath him if he tried to stand up.

"Now maybe you'll learn to make the changes you want yourself rather than depending on drugs to do it for you." Howard tossed the bottle into the trash, leaving Tony to be by himself in the bathroom. "By the way, I'm sending you home as soon as your heat is over."

Tony felt numb. It wasn't from not taking his pill that day, because he took it in the mornings usually, so he had taken his pill for the day, but his body would most likely start going into heat the next morning once it realized there wasn't a suppressant pill taken. Tony knew that was going to suck a lot, but at least he could stay with Steve. He _ would _ stay with Steve. Tony wasn't about to go back to the apartment he and his father had been sharing.There was no way in hell he was going to spend his coming heat under the watch of Howard. Besides, spending as much time as possible with Steve before he had to go back home was a top priority.

Taking a shaky breath, Tony splashed some water on his face, staring at the drain his pills had gone down. “Fuck you, Dad,” he spat out before leaving the bathroom. He needed to find Steve. Steve would make him feel better.

Thankfully, Steve wasn’t busy with anything other than talking to Bucky. Clutching his side where his rib was hurting once more, Tony marched right up to him and buried his face in his alpha’s chest. All conversation between Steve and Bucky ceased when Tony had come up, and it gave them an idea just how well the conversation between father and son had gone.

“Are you okay?” Steve asked, pulling back enough to look at Tony.

“No,” came Tony’s simple answer. “Things are bad.”

“How bad?”

Tony looked up, tears glittering in his eyes, though they didn’t fall. “Dad took my pills. He dumped them down the drain, and he’s sending me back home after my heat is over.”

Steve’s eyes went wide. “What? He dumped your pills _ and _ is sending you back home?”

The brunet nodded, looking at the floor with a small growl, something that he was picking up a habit of. “It’s not fair. I had freedom with those pills, and he took it all away from me. I was able to get away from the normal omega life for once, and now I’m back to being my body’s slave.”

“How long until you’ll go into heat?”

“As soon as my body realizes that it’s not being suppressed any more.”

“So some time tomorrow, then.” Steve sighed, pulling Tony in for a hug. “I’m sorry, I should have been there with you when you confronted your dad.”

“Don’t… I just want to get away from here right now. I…” Tony bit his lip. “I want to stay at your apartment until he sends me home.”

“I’m okay with that. We won’t have to worry about your dad during your heat that way.”

“Need any help with that?” Bucky asked, willing to do all he could to help out his omega friend. “I can help move stuff, and you can just worry about preparing for your heat.”

“I appreciate it, Buck,” Tony said. “I need to pack up my things anyways, since I’m going back home soon.”

“You don’t have to go home, you know,” Steve said. “You can stay with me.”

“Well… I actually kinda want to go home. My mom hasn’t seen me in a long time. I figured I can at least let her see me for a bit before I try to come back.”

“That’ll be no small feat, Tony. Your dad likely won’t want you to come back.”

Tony shrugged. “I don’t care. He took away my freedom that you gave me, and there’s no point in going back to the pharmacy to get my refill. That bottle was supposed to last me for months. If I go back now, they’ll assume I’m a drug addict or something.”

Steve nodded, knowing that even with himself being there, the pharmacy likely wouldn’t give him more pills. “Alright, let’s get out of here. You’re getting more upset by the moment, and I think we deserve some time to relax this afternoon.”

Leaving the base together, Tony, Steve, and Bucky all headed to the Stark apartment to help the omega pack up his things. The only thing that Tony left in the apartment that belonged to him was a few towels that Howard had bought him when they had moved Tony in. They were cheap anyways. Not the best material to make a nest with. Tony had plenty of his own clothes and towels that were soft and were perfect for nest making. As they packed up the nest that Tony had created in his bedroom, the omega thought of his own nest back at home, one that was just waiting to be smothered with Steve’s scent when the chance came. It was something thrilling to think about, for Steve to finally join Tony in the nest he had spent years building up and making perfect.

Tony managed to leave the Stark apartment with a small smile on his face, carrying a ball of blankets that vaguely smelled like his alpha. That scent would be renewed soon, something that Tony looked forward to. He was still upset, however, that his heat was basically being forced to happen. This heat was probably going to be the worst one yet, which held almost no promise of feeling anything but pain, even if Steve was there to accompany him. However, despite the pain that was surely to come for at least a few days, Tony was determined not to let it hinder him. He was still a soldier, although having only brief training, and soldiers pushed through the worst of times.

As the apartment building faded from view, Tony felt a relief spread through his body, and he let out a sigh that he had been holding in for quite a while. He was free now until his heat was over. Then it would be a long flight back to the states alone and boring, but at least he got to see his mother again. She was probably going to be as upset as Howard was, but in a motherly sort of way. There wouldn’t be yelling from her, just upset eyes glittering with tears. Hugs usually patched up any quarrels between mother and son, and if Tony was to be honest, a hug from his mother sounded like the best thing in the world, besides spending his coming heat with his alpha. 

Tony watched the buildings fly by as Steve drove the three of them to his apartment, the trunk of the car loaded up with Tony’s belongings. It was a silent drive, all three men knowing how difficult the situation was, especially for Tony. They would get everything set up for him so he would be comfortable in his heat, but even Bucky knew that there was the looming dread of Tony having to go back home alone.

As tense as the drive might have seemed, Tony still found himself grabbing one of Steve’s hands while he drove and rubbing the alpha’s knuckles in an effort to keep himself calm. There was no mistaking the distressed omegan scent filling the car. All Steve wanted to do was hold Tony close and tell him that everything was going to be okay. They would get to spend some down time together as opposed to a mission out on the battlefield. And besides, Steve was anxious to see Tony in heat with his newly buffed up body. Not that the heat was more important than comforting Tony, but staying with the omega and helping him through his heat was at least part of comforting him.

When they arrived at Steve’s apartment, Tony took a deep breath, taking in the look and smell of the alpha’s temporary home. Everything about it felt safe, smelled safe, and Tony felt the best he had all day. He stood to the side as Steve and Bucky brought his things in, keeping the things that weren’t clothes, nesting supplies, or toiletries in the front room so they were ready to go when Tony would be leaving. Tony was relieved when Bucky bid farewell and left the couple alone in the apartment.

Steve sighed at the door, turning around to see Tony hugging himself. He looked distant, like his mind was somewhere far from reality, and it made Steve sad to see his omega so distressed.

“Tony,” he spoke softly, bringing the brunet’s attention to him. There was hardly any emotion in the soft brown eyes of the omega as Steve approached him, reaching a hand out to cup his face.

Tony looked up at him, unshed tears very clearly gathering in the corners of his eyes. The poor omega was flooded with emotions and he couldn’t bring himself to let them out properly.

Sighing softly, Steve pulled Tony close and hugged him tight, attempting to ease the distressed omega as best as he could without upsetting Tony. Of course the whole situation was already upsetting, but Steve did his best to make it less upsetting. Knowing that his omega was going to be shipped home as soon as his heat was over was distressing even to him.

After a bit of silence, Tony took in a shaking breath and looked up at Steve. “Can we go lay down?” he asked, a few tears finally slipping down his face.

“Of course,” Steve replied, guiding the brunet to the bedroom.

The two remained there for the rest of the day until food was needed, which Steve took it upon himself to make. He wasn’t going to make Tony do anything that society viewed as chores that omegas usually did when a couple lived together. Tony deserved time to relax and do as he pleased while his alpha did the normal chores he usually did. After dinner, Tony cried himself to sleep with Steve curled up around him, crooning deeply to help the troubled omega fall asleep easier. They both had a rough week ahead of them, so they were determined to help each other as much as possible before they were going to be separated.


	8. Chapter 8

Tony sighed as he stepped off the plane with his bags in tow. The states were not as happy as he remembered them. Perhaps it was because the day was drab and grey, a light but cold drizzle falling. Tony knew Jarvis would be waiting for him in the terminal of the airport he had landed in, and Jarvis was someone safe to stay with, but from the plane to the terminal, Tony was alone, just as he had been during the flight, with several pairs of alpha eyes looking at him like he was a piece of meat. He hated it. He had been used to being around Steve for so long, so he never had to worry about other alphas looking at him. Steve was Captain America, and no one was going to mess with Captain America’s omega.

Ironically, back in America, no one knew Captain America’s omega, so Tony was an open target for anyone who walked passed him. Thankfully the terminal wasn’t too far away. Tony hurried as fast as he could without running, eager to see familiar faces again. Knowing that Jarvis would be waiting for him kept him moving, eyes straight ahead so he didn’t have to deal with the hassle of making eye contact with a random alpha.

Soon entering the terminal, Tony frantically looked around, and before long he spotted the family butler he had trusted so many secrets with over the years. He nearly burst into tears at the friendly smile Jarvis gave him as he approached. It was hard not to just drop everything and run into those welcoming arms. 

“Welcome home, Tony,” the butler said when the omega was within hearing range.

Tony didn’t say anything, only dropping his bags and reaching around Jarvis to hug him tight. If anyone could comfort him in this time of need, it was Jarvis.

“There, now, you’ll be alright,” Jarvis reassured. “Your mother is waiting back at the manor. She made sure that I made your favorite meal.”

“Thank you, Jarvis,” Tony muttered, trying not to let his tears fall as he pulled back and smiled. “We shouldn’t keep her waiting any longer. I’ve been gone far longer than I anticipated.”

Jarvis nodded and picked up Tony’s bags, carrying them to the car he had driven to the airport. Once they were packed up, the two climbed into the car and drove off, mostly in silence. Truth be told, Tony missed the snowfall of London. Now he dealt with the rain of southern California, which only seemed gloomy, as opposed to the mystical snow he had seen only hours previous. Tony used to like the rain, but after leaving Steve back in London, among other events that occurred, he no longer found joy in the rain.

The Stark Manor in Malibu soon came to view as Jarvis continued to drive through the cold rain. Tony felt his heart beat quicker, an old reaction that occurred naturally, because he had never really liked returning home, especially if his father was there. He knew Howard wasn’t home, but his mother was, and she hadn’t seen her son since he started going on tour with Captain America. Maria was surely ready to give Tony the biggest hug ever, though Tony would have to tell her to go easy. He had, after all, injured his rib once more.

Staring at the front doors to the manor with his umbrella keeping him dry, Tony swallowed and kept his eyes trained on the handle. In his hands were some of his bags, Jarvis getting the rest of his things out of the car, and setting against his chest were small, cold pieces of metal that had all Steve’s information on them. Tony had insisted on Steve keeping his dog tags, but secretly he was happy that the alpha had told him to take them. At least it was one thing that he could have on him at all times that smelled like his alpha.

Tony startled when the doors in front of him opened up, but being startled didn’t last long, because his mother was there with tears in her eyes, and then there were some in Tony’s eyes, and mother and son rushed to hug each other, letting out emotions after so long of keeping those emotions in check, bags and umbrella being dropped on the pavement.

Tony all but sobbed into his mother’s shoulder, hugging her tight despite his rib hurting. “Mom… I’m so sorry I left,” he said after his crying had settled a bit.

“Oh please don’t apologize for this, Tony,” Maria said, petting her son’s hair in a loving way only a mother could pull off. “You don’t need to apologize for leaving with Mr. Rogers.”

“I feel like I need to,” Tony grumbled as he pulled away, holding a hand against his rib. “A lot of things have happened, Mom…”

“Well, we can talk about it over dinner tonight, okay? You’ve had a long day of flying, so I’m sure you’re hungry.”

“Starving, actually.”

“Well, we have your favorite, and--” Maria paused, feeling over her son’s arms. “Have you been working out?”

Tony nodded, cheeks a bit pink. “Yeah… Some of the guys wanted to help train me… uh… it’s a long story.”

Maria shook her head. “No worries, I’m just glad you’re back. I was so worried about your health the whole time. More worried over if your cycles were going to stay normal or not. I know you usually have heats every two or three months.”

“I just finished a heat a couple days ago.”

Maria’s eyes widened. “So you did have a heat while away from home? Was that the first one?”

Flushing, Tony shook his head. “No… I had more than one. Hated being around all those soldiers and agents who were alphas.”

“God, did your father make you stay around all those alphas? Because if he did, he’s getting stern talking to when he gets home.”

“No, he didn’t force me. I… well, he didn’t know I was in Europe for the first one, and he made me stay in London for the last one before he sent me home. Though that was probably for the best because--”

“Tony, please come inside,” Maria interrupted. “We can talk more over dinner, yeah?”

Her expression was gentle and worrisome, and Tony couldn’t help but give her an expression that made him look a little overwhelmed. “Okay, Mom....”

Once everything was inside, Jarvis insisted on Tony eating with his mother as his things were taken up to his room. The omega was too tired from the long day he had and the stressful heat he had been put through to care too much. He gladly joined his mother at the dinner table for food, which he scarfed down as quickly as he could handle. The last heat had also come with a stomach ache, one that wouldn’t go away no matter how many times Steve knotted him. That was why they only knotted twice, spending the rest of the time either curled up in bed or hunched over the toilet and throwing up basically nothing. Tony’s throat was left raw afterwards, and it still was as he ate real food for the first time in days. If he was to be honest, he still had a bit of a stomach ache. 

“Tony, slow down please,” Maria said in a sad tone, reaching a hand over to grab her son’s wrist. “You’re going to make yourself sick, dear.”

Sighing and sitting back from his plate, Tony looked over at his mother. “Sorry, I just didn’t eat much during my heat…”

“I hope you were able to nest properly somewhere nice.”

“I did, but…” Tony sighed. “Maybe this conversation would be better off starting at the beginning of the story.”

“Tell me as much as you want, honey,” Maria encouraged.

“Okay, well you knew I started going on tour with Steve. Of course I started developing feelings for him, and him for me. Kinda knew that was coming. But after one of his last shows in the US, he told me he was going overseas to do some shows, pump up the troops, you know. I told him I wasn’t going to let him leave me behind, not after he took me on a date and kissed me in the rain.”

“A date, and kisses in the rain?” Maria smiled. “Sounds like a really romantic guy.”

“You have no idea, Mom. He gave me his dog tags to bring back home so I could have something of his while we were apart.” Tony pulled out the dog tags and looked at the name on them with a fond smile. “But I did go to Europe with him… and I’m sorry I didn’t tell you until much later. I should have told you sooner.”

“It’s alright, Tony. When you told me you were with Mr. Rogers, I knew you were going to be safe, no matter where you were.”

“I felt safe with him, honestly. I was glad I stayed with him. We were in Italy for a while, and… he had to leave for a few days. I was stuck in the camp surrounded by a bunch of alphas while I went into heat. Peggy was there, though, and she helped keep me safe until Steve got back. We…”

Tony flushed and fidgeted with his hands under the table. “We shared our first heat together then.”

Maria nodded. “I knew I smelled something different on you, but I’m glad to know that it’s Steve that I was smelling. Did you two bond?”

Tony shook his head. “No, we didn’t really want to bond yet, not while the war is going on. If something were to happen… it would be too painful.”

“You two are very serious about each other, aren’t you?”

“God, I love him so much, Mom. He’s sweet and strong and approves of how I am. I can’t tell you how long I’ve wanted an alpha that just accepted me for who I am and didn’t want to turn me into a house wife and sex toy.”

“I knew that was never the type of omega you wanted to be. Having Steve as your alpha so far seems like the best option for you, despite what you father may think.”

“Dad doesn’t… he doesn’t know that Steve and I are physical. That would have just been too much for him to deal with.”

Maria nodded in agreement. “He’ll know when it’s the right time to know. So tell me more about you and the captain’s relationship.”

Tony smiled. “We almost can’t keep our hands off each other. God, it’s really hard not to just reach out and touch him every time I see him. I swear he gets more attractive by the day. I… I wish I could see him again. I have a picture of us hugging in a frame. I cracked the glass in the frame actually… I should probably get a new frame.”

“You cracked it? How did that happen? Did you trip and fall on it?”

“No.” Tony sighed. “We had a fight back in December. I caught him kissing a beta bombshell, but we made up. I just got angry enough at him to slam the frame down on my dresser back in London and I cracked the glass.”

“I’m sorry that happened, sweetie.”

Tony shrugged. “We’ve made up now. We had a hell of a reunion when he came back from the mission that kept him over Christmas. I swear, we’re never going to get to spend the holidays together if the missions keep coming.”

Shaking his head, Tony sighed. “I wish I knew when I would be seeing Steve again. Maybe Dad will let me come back to London on his next leave. Which will be in… August, I think. God, that’s such a long time to wait.”

“Well, if Steve is as great as you say he is, then I’d say the wait will be worth it to see him again. And who knows, maybe Steve can earn some time to come back home and be back on home turf, rather than spending all his down time in London.”

Tony nodded. “I’ll suggest that to him in a letter. If things calm down, it might be nice for him to come back home. I’m sure he’d like it.”

Maria smiled. “Maybe you two could go ring shopping.”

“_ Mom _,” Tony nearly yelped. “I don’t know if we’re ready for that quite yet…”

“It was merely a suggestion, dear. Though maybe not a bad idea.” Maria chuckled as she went back to eating her dinner.

“Yeah… maybe not.”

After dinner was finished, Jarvis returned and told both Starks to go on to bed, that he would clean everything up. Maria thanked their butler before going with Tony to his room to help him unpack, despite him telling her she didn’t really need to help. She had stayed up long enough waiting and worrying over her son anyways.

Still, Maria insisted she needed to come help and Tony knew he couldn’t say no to her, not when there were pictures of him and Steve to show her. Thankfully he had left his uniform back in London with Steve, because Maria would have had a fit about that. Her reaction probably would have been similar to Howard’s… though maybe not as dramatic. Still, that was a secret Tony was going to keep from his mother at least for a little while, unless Howard had sent his wife a letter saying how bad their son was being. Either way, Maria would probably find out eventually.

Going through his things and packing them away in their respective places, Tony couldn’t help but let his heart ache from being away from Steve. They hadn’t officially bonded, but he couldn’t count how many times they had scented each other, so they might as well have been bonded.

“Tony, are these clothes yours?” Maria picked up the clothes Tony had worn to the bar the night he and Steve danced after sneaking away from the base.

The omega smiled. “Yeah, Peggy gave me those. She said they looked better on me than her.”

“Oh, so are you getting more into omegan fashion then? I know she’s a beta, but you know that a lot of omegas wear clothes that most ladies wear now.”

Tony shrugged. “I wouldn’t say I’m obsessed over the more omegan styles… but I do find it nice to dress up every once in a while for Steve now.”

“Does this mean we should go shopping some time soon? Your birthday is in a couple months after all.”

The omega smiled. “Yeah, we can go shopping. I need more formal outfits that I like, anyways. Most of the outfits I have I’m not too fond of, but I guess that’s what happens when you have omega relatives that want you to look like them.”

“Your aunts do have a… specific style,” Maria agreed. “But I agree that we need to get you some clothes that you like. We don’t want you looking underwhelming for your alpha, now do we?”

Tony flushed as he rolled his eyes. “I don’t think Steve ever thinks I look underwhelming.”

“Can’t be too cautious though. I’m sure he goes wild when you dress up nice for him.” 

“He did like my suit I wore to our date back in January. I could see it in his eyes.”

“Does he have that intense alpha gaze when he’s focused on you?” the mother pressed, not really ever having a conversation like this with her son before.

Tony shivered a little, knowing exactly what type of gaze his mother was talking about. “Yeah, but we better not go too deep into that topic because I may need to kick you out.”

Maria giggled. “In case you need them, all your old toys are stuffed under your bed.”

The omega groaned at his mother, but he silently thanked her. “Anyways, clothes shopping sometime within the next few months sounds great. Any excuse to… do anything other than dwell on the fact that my alpha is on the other side of the world.”

Maria pulled Tony in for a hug, sighing and closing her eyes. “I know being away from him is tough, but you do get to see him again. Either you’ll go to meet him again or he’ll come back here.”

“I hope he can come back home. I mean he’s from Brooklyn, but I’m not sure he really has a place to permanently call home. Both his parents are dead, and I haven’t heard him talk about any other family of his.”

“Sounds like holidays are lonely for him. I bet that if he doesn’t have any missions planned, he’ll be here later this year to spend time with you.”

“It’d be a miracle if he gets a break from active duty. Sure he’s got his own missions and items to take care of, but we are still in the middle of a war. Active duty terms change during war.”

“Try not to think too hard on that. You know he wants to be with you, and he’ll come back if you’re not able to go to him.”

Tony smiled, thinking of when he would see Steve again. He’d probably run to the alpha and hug him tight, maybe pull him down for a long kiss and drag him off to some broom closet again to get a little intimacy from him.

Shaking his head, Tony sighed. “I’m getting tired, so I think I’m going to go to bed.”

“Alright, well, if you need anything, dear, don’t hesitate to ask.” Maria pulled back and cupped her son’s face. “I love you.”

“I love you more,” the brunet said with a smile.

When Tony was alone once more, he grabbed the picture of him and Steve in the cracked frame and curled up on his bed, allowing himself to let out the body-shaking sobs that he had been holding back since he left Steve behind in London. It was going to be a long night without Steve being in the same city Tony was.

* * *

Winter soon turned to spring in Malibu as the months passed. Tony had forgotten how lonely he got sleeping in his own bed that smelled like only himself. There had been several nights where he crawled into bed with his mother, comforted by the slight scent she gave off. With her being a beta, it was sometimes difficult for Tony to find comfort when snuggling up to her, but she had her own distinct scent that wasn’t entirely muted by her neutral secondary gender. Tony was grateful she at least had some sort of scent as opposed to no scent at all.

As April and March flew past, Tony found himself being occupied by daily chores that an omega in a normal household might perform. It wasn’t because he was forced, but he needed something to keep himself from worrying about Steve. Cleaning and cooking and washing all seemed like good activities to pursue while being left alone for most of the day. Jarvis had gladly accepted the help from Tony, though he insisted several times that he didn’t need additional help cleaning up the manor. Still, he wasn’t going to tell the omega no if he really wanted to help. Having a friend to help do chores with was always more fun than doing chores alone.

Tony also kept in shape when he had free time. He’d often go on runs around the neighborhood, knowing he was safe enough to do so. No one dared do anything to upset a Stark, especially not the omega Stark who was worth far more than most people made in a year. Those little runs gave Tony a bit of freedom to escape and just be himself. He appreciated the moments he had alone to think and collect his thoughts, especially since he didn’t have Steve around to keep him grounded in reality.

When May came around, Tony started busying himself with preparing for a heat. He hoped he wouldn’t be spending his birthday in heat, which he had all month to have it. Still, he was searching his home for some of the softest things. Blankets, pillows, sheets, clothes, anything he could get his hands on, he would take and put into his nest in his bedroom. Of course the shirts he had that still faintly smelled like Steve were saved for last; Tony not wanting Steve’s scent to get drowned out by other scents that weren’t as comforting. 

Most of Tony’s time was spent setting up his nest properly. Every couple of days he would shift things around, all while keeping the clothes that smelled like Steve packed away until the time to use them came. No matter how much he did, though, he always felt like something was missing, and he knew what it was. Steve was gone, so of course this nest felt wrong, felt empty.

Caught in the middle of his thoughts, Tony didn’t hear the soft knock on his bedroom door and his mother poking her head in. 

“Tony?”

The omega jumped a little, being dragged away from his thoughts. “Mom… sorry, I was just fixing my nest…”

Maria looked sad as she entered her son’s room. “I know it’s hard not seeing him, but you only have a few more months without him.”

The omega sighed heavily. “I’m so used to him being around for heats now that I honestly don’t know what to do, really.”

“Well, I may not be able to help you much during your heat, but I can offer to help make your day better.”

Tony looked at his mother. “What do you suggest?”

Maria held up the keys to one of the Stark cars. “Feel like making a trip to the mall?”

That got a smile out of the brunet. “A shopping trip sounds great. Let me put on different clothes. You know there’s going to be alphas that can smell my heat coming.”

Maria nodded in understanding. “Meet me in the garage when you’re ready. It’s just going to be you and me today.”

“Got it.”

Before too long, mother and son were on their way to the nearest shopping mall, intent on buying new clothes and perhaps a few cute things to add to the house decor. It was a much needed distraction for Tony, as he had a lot on his mind. With Steve being overseas and the omega’s heat coming up, there was a lot of stress that needed relieving, and a shopping trip was exactly what Tony needed.

Closing his eyes, Tony enjoyed the feeling of the cool air rushing over his skin as he and his mother drove down the road in their convertible. The sun was shining and the day wasn’t too cold or too warm. It felt perfect, which only made Tony feel better the longer they were on the road.

Most of the other cars on the road were also convertibles, which was a pleasant sight. To know that so many others were enjoying the nice day was a comfort, that the world wasn’t so bad, and the war was far away from the mind. Yes, Tony was going to be fine being without Steve for a little longer. By the time Steve would be coming home, Tony would be preparing for yet another heat, and then they could just focus on being together until Steve was called back to London again. Hopefully that wouldn’t be too soon after he came home.

The mall was fairly busy when Maria and Tony got there. There were enough people that Tony thought he and his mother could fade into the background and not be bombarded by admirers of Howard’s work. The Starks could just be normal people, and that was all Tony wanted that day.

Or maybe someone would recognize him as Steve’s omega and maybe they’d want to talk about Steve.

Tony shook his head. No, no one would actually know who Captain America's omega was. Tony didn’t need to think of Steve, anyways. He’d only make himself upset, and the day was about mother and son. There was no need to think of Steve other than for deciding if the alpha would approve of the outfits purchased. 

“Do you think they’ll have any new shipments of clothes today?” Maria asked as they entered the mall, arms linked together.

“Hard to say. There might be new stuff for me, but maybe not for you.” Tony shrugged. War was tough, especially on shipments of many goods. New clothing styles were a luxury, and many people simply made do with what they already had. However, the demand for omega clothing had never been higher, especially when many were mated to alphas who were off at war. Omegas demanded new clothes almost on the daily just so they would have things to keep their alphas happy and entertained when sending photographs in their letters.

“If they have anything for you,” Maria continued, “I’m sure it’ll be more scandalous things than normal every-day clothing.”

“We’ll just have to look. And who knows, maybe we’ll both get lucky and find something we both like.”

“I’m hoping for that option.” Maria smiled as she pulled Tony into the first store.

Tony tried not to look bored in the store, but everything about it was just so _ beta _. Of course the store was perfectly fine to betas, but to Tony, it was drab and boring and it set him on edge just a little from not having a distinct scent.

Maria soon decided that there wasn’t anything in that store worth buying, and Tony was thrilled to finally leave. He wanted to be surrounded by actual scents and not the dead ones that betas had. They went into several more stores, searching and not finding much. It seemed that the war was taking a toll on all goods shipments, including omegan goods. There were only a handful of mixed stores that were offering a full line of omegan products, and those stores were not the most family friendly. Still, if they were offering any sort of clothing, Tony was highly considering stopping by one of the stores just to check it out.

When the two had passed the third omega store, Tony sighed. “I think I’m going to have to give in and just go into one of the omega stores. I won’t be finding anything if I don’t.”

“You can go in one if you want. You’re a grown man and a responsible omega, there’s no shame in going in stores like those.”

“Yeah, but I don’t want to leave you by yourself while I go in.”

“Oh, now don’t go talking like that. I can sit out here and wait for you,” Maria reassured her son. “Go on, find something nice.”

Tony glanced back at the store they had passed, whining a little. “If you’re sure…”

“Tony, go look. Be yourself. You know there will be people in there who can help you if you need it.”

The omega seemed to struggle with himself for a bit, but then he nodded while biting his bottom lip. “Okay… I’ll go in…. You won’t go anywhere, will you? I don’t know if I’ll be comfortable enough to stay in there for too long.”

“I’ll be right here,” Maria reassured, smiling kindly at her son. “Take all the time you need.”

“Alright.” Building up the courage to actually go into the omega store, Tony made his way over to it, and almost instantly he felt at ease. He was surrounded by several omegan scents, either artificial or real, and not a single strange alpha scent in sight, though there was a door in the back of the store labeled as some sort of room that would provide an omega with any alpha scent they could want. Tony doubted they had Steve’s scent. That special mix of spice and _ clean _ was unique to Steve only. Even Bucky’s scent was far from Steve’s, the darker haired alpha’s being more peppery with a bit of citrus to it, which was a scent that Tony knew he had smelled long before meeting Bucky.

Looking around the store, there were several racks of clothes that were either brand new or on sale, most of which were not exactly in styles that Tony liked. He wandered around until something, hopefully anything, would catch his eye. It took going through most of the store before he finally found something on a rack hidden away at the back of the store. It was mostly clearance, but the one thing he did find on the rack was something about as flashy as Tony could imagine himself wearing.

Taking it off the rack, Tony held it up to his body and looked down at it, tilting his head in thought.

“We have a newer version of this top available for purchase,” one of the employees said, coming up beside Tony with a smile. 

The omega looked over at the man. “I must have missed it. Then again, this is the first thing I’ve seen in here that I actually like.”

“Ah, you’re a simple omega then.” The man nodded. “Well, I can understand that. I myself don’t like to wear all the fancy stuff all the time. Is there anything specific you might be looking for? Something frilly or more revealing than button up shirts and suspenders?”

Tony shrugged as he hung the top back on the rack. “I’m… not sure what I like. I have a suit that the jacket flares out a bit, but that’s really the only thing I have that remotely looks omegan.”

“Ah, a blank canvas!” The employee clapped his hands together with a large smile. “I can tell you’re new at clothes shopping. Mind if I help you find something?”

“As long as it’s not too over the top… sure.”

“Great! You have a more built frame than I’ve seen before on an omega, but I’ll find some things I think will look good on you, and you can try them on and tell me if you like them.”

Tony was then taken on an adventure through omegan fashion by the enthusiastic employee, trying on several items and deciding on a few to buy, much to his own surprise. The top he originally had looked at was added to the number of other tops and outfits he was getting. The employee was kind enough to apply a good discount to Tony’s total, as a thank you for letting him help pick out clothing. A few bonus items were also added into the bag, including a couple of colognes that were intended to help enhance Tony’s scent and some basic items to help make heats more comfortable. By the time Tony had left the store, he had a good sized bag full of clothes and bonus items, plus a coupon for the next time he visited the store.

Maria spotted Tony exiting the store and smiled at her son, happy to see him with a large bag full of items. “Looks like you were successful in there.”

“Yeah, Nicholas helped me out quite a bit in there. He’s one of the employees.” Tony smiled back as he started walking the halls of the mall once more.

“Nicholas sounds like a nice man. Omega I assume?”

Tony nodded. “He also doesn’t like the fancy clothes all the time. I told him that Steve didn’t really get to see me dolled up that often, and the only thing he’s really seen me in that’s extravagant is the suit that Peggy gave me.”

“Well, I’m glad you have some new clothes to wear for Steve now. I’m sure he’ll love them.”

Tony smiled. “Yeah, me too.”

As the day went on, Tony and Maria visited a few other stores in the mall before making their final stop of the day at a restaurant, enjoying a nice warm meal before they headed back home with their purchases in tow. Once they were home, Tony proceeded to show his mother the clothes that he had gotten, and she smiled approvingly at all of them. Tony was glad to see his mother happy and involved in his daily lifestyle as an omega. It made him even happier to know that she supported him, no matter what. He was an omega, and she accepted that and treated him just as she always had. 

Jarvis took away the new clothes to wash them and make sure they were ready to be hung up in Tony’s closet in the morning. It was well into the night when Tony found himself sitting outside with the butler, sipping on glasses of whiskey while looking up at the stars in the slightly chilly night.

Tony sighed to himself for the umpteenth time, not going unnoticed by Jarvis.

“You miss him a lot,” the butler stated after taking a sip of his drink.

“God, I really fucking miss him,” the omega said with a shake of his head. “Our letters are nice, but it’s not the same as taking to him in person.” 

Tony looked over at Jarvis. “I told him to come home if he had the chance to, said our doors were open to him and Bucky, Peggy too if she could come. He said they would try to come in August.”

“August is quite a while from now.”

“I know. That’s when my next heat is due after this one, so if he does get to come in August, I hope he comes before my heat. Or during it. I don’t want to go through more than one without him now. It just feels wrong.”

“Do you feel you’re going to start this cycle soon?”

Tony nodded, looking back up at the stars. “I think preheat will hit either tonight or tomorrow…”

“I’ll make sure you have plenty of clean blankets then, in case you decide you need more.”

“Thanks, Jarvis. Glad I can count on you to make sure I have everything I need for heats.”

The butler smiled and nodded. “Is there anything specific you might like to eat this cycle?”

“I mean, chocolate always makes me feel better.”

“Besides sweets, Tony.”

“Right… I don’t know. Maybe some cheeseburgers. Small ones.”

“And would you like me to make those, or buy them from some local place?”

Tony shrugged. “I don’t really care… okay I do care, but I don’t think I can really get an A&W burger around here.”

“I believe the closest A&W is upstate. I can travel up to get some for you.”

“Nah, there’s no point. Just make them. You do make some pretty good cheeseburgers anyways.”

Jarvis smile and nodded. “Thank you, Tony. I will make some for you then. You’ll have fresh cheeseburgers every day, if you wish.”

“God, that sounds good.” Tony downed his glass of whiskey, then fell back on his back, closing his eyes and simply breathing. He swore, very faintly, he could smell Steve’s scent. 

Maybe that was just the alcohol.

“I wouldn’t mind some bacon on some of those,” Tony added after shaking his thoughts away from Steve.

“Excellent choice. I fancy myself a good bacon cheeseburger every once in a while myself.”

“You eat cheeseburgers, Jarvis? Man, where have I been?”

“London,” the butler stated with a smirk.

That got a laugh out of the omega, but also a playful punch thrown in Jarvis’s direction. “Okay, I think you had too much to drink.”

“I’ve only had as much as you’ve given me,” Jarvis argued, though he did stand up and offered his hand out to Tony.

“You were drinking before I got out here,” Tony said as he hauled himself up with the help of the butler. “But you can get away with that excuse this time. I think I drank too much too fast anyways.”

“Well you can go to bed and sleep it off after eating something light and drinking water.”

“We have crackers still, right?”

“Of course.”

“I’ll take a box of those and a glass of water with me to bed.”

“Just don’t get sick. I’d hate for you to start your heat with an upset stomach.”

Tony sighed. “Yeah… you know, Steve had gotten me suppressants before I left London. Took them for about a month and delayed a heat, but that month was so nice. I didn’t have to worry about the heat or anything that came with it. I could focus on missions… I wish I had those back.”

“Perhaps one day you will have them again,” Jarvis said with a comforting hand on the omega’s shoulder.

“I’d need either my dad or Steve around to get them for me, and Dad ended up dumping the whole bottle I had down the drain. Obviously I’m not getting another bottle through his name.”

“Then maybe when Captain Rogers comes he will get you another bottle. Unless you don’t want them when he’s here away from the war. He will be here for heats, after all.”

“Yeah… I’ll have to think on it.” Tony shrugged, then he yawned. “I’m tired right now, so I’m gonna grab those crackers and hit the hay. Thanks for drinking with me, Jarvis.”

“Always a pleasure, Mister Stark.” The butler bowed with a smile, watching Tony walk away as he cleaned up the empty glasses and the bottle of whiskey. “And don’t forget that water.”

Tony waved his hand with a laugh.

Later that night, after Tony had eaten, drank water and settled into his nest, the omega’s body started heating up; waking up the sleeping brunet with an uncomfortable feeling of loneliness. The preheat was brutal, but Tony knew it was going to be without his alpha. At least he still had his thoughts to fantasize with, plus all his toys that his mother had so helpfully tucked away underneath his bed. Still, it was going to be a long heat without Steve around to make Tony feel better.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello guys! So first I want to start off by thanking you guys for reading. I'm glad this fic has been received very well! Second, I would like to announce that I will be taking a break from posting for a couple weeks, since these next two weeks are dead week and finals week for me in school, so I thought it best that I focus on that until the semester is over. Thank you guys so much, enjoy some more smutty scenes in this chapter, and I'll have another update for you guys in a couple weeks! 
> 
> -BWP

It was mid July when Tony got a letter from Steve saying he would be coming back to the states with Howard. The letter had not only mentioned that Steve was going to come to the Stark manor to stay until he was called back to active duty, but Bucky would also be visiting at some point. He did have a sister to visit after all, so he was sure to spend some time with her, in case Bucky was called back early. If he was still in the states by the time Christmas was around, Bucky had promised to come see them. But the main point was that Steve was going to come home and stay home through the holidays unless he and Bucky were called back early.

The summer day that letter came was a joyous one for the omega. He went running through his home to find his mother and tell her of the news, and they celebrated by going out for ice cream and then swimming when they got back home. Tony went to bed happier than he had been in several weeks, and both Maria and Jarvis were happy to see that.

When the day finally came for Steve, Bucky, and Howard to come home, Tony made himself a little more presentable than he normally did. He didn’t bother with the button up shirts and suspenders that day, trading them in for the first top he had found in the store at the mall back in May. Tony had worn that top for his birthday, and also for Steve’s, and while he was dressing, Tony was reminded yet again that they both missed being with each other on the days they turned yet another year older.

Tony stared at himself in the mirror. He wondered to himself if he was dressing up too much for the return of his alpha, but he quickly got rid of that thought. Steve was going to love seeing him again, dressed up or not, so Tony might as well dress up a little more than usual to go to the military base and greet the alpha.

A knock came on his bedroom door. “Tony, are you ready to go?” Maria asked as she poked her head in.

“Yeah, just let me get shoes on.” 

Tony was smiling like an idiot as he rushed to finish getting ready. He was minutes away from seeing his alpha again, so he was giddy and walked with a spring in his step. He was ignoring the fact that Howard would also be there because he didn’t want anything to ruin the day. Tony was going to see Steve again after several months of being apart, and the omega was dying to get his hands on that blond alpha once more.

The trip to the military base felt too long to Tony. He watched trees and cars pass by, but he still felt like the drive was taking far too long already. Time seemed to stand still when Tony was waiting on his alpha.

And then finally the gates of the base came into view. Tony was on the edge of the passenger seat almost immediately, his eyes trained on the single plane that was parked near a hangar, several people scattered around it moving cargo and striking up light conversations. Tony didn’t see the three men he would recognize instantly, and his heart started beating faster as he worried they didn’t make it back to the states. He was so caught up in his thoughts that he didn’t remember getting past the gates and heading towards that very hangar that probably housed Steve, Bucky, and Howard. He didn’t register that his mother was saying things to him, probably about how he should act as soon as they parked, but Tony wasn’t listening even in the slightest. All Tony’s mind could handle thinking about was Steve and how close he was once more.

When the car did finally park, Tony was out and into the sunlight instantly, scanning over the people who were walking around. Still he didn’t see his father, friend, or alpha, which caused him to whine slightly. He finally gave his mother some attention when she put a gentle hand on his shoulder.

“Be patient, sweetie. They’re here, I made sure to confirm it before we left.”

“You’re sure? The people here didn’t just tell you that so you wouldn’t worry?”

Maria smiled and pulled her son in for a hug. “I’m sure, Tony. All three of them are here. Come on, let’s find out where they are.”

Tony nodded, though he whined again as they walked towards the hangar. There were so many people around and not one of them that he saw was Steve. Was it too much to ask for just a small sign that would point the omega in the direction of his alpha?

A whiff of Steve’s scent caught Tony’s attention as he and his mother walked into the hangar. He didn’t catch more than a hint of the familiar scent, but he savored that scent that only Steve possessed, and Tony knew that Steve was there somewhere, probably smelling his omega’s scent and also looking around.

A head of blond hair whipped around, blue eyes wide and a low whine escaping from the alpha’s throat. Alpha and omega were aware of each other, but neither of them knew where each other were, and it began to distress the both of them a little. Thankfully, the stress didn’t last long, because Steve soon spotted Tony through the crowd of people and called out to him, causing those around the alpha to move away and make a path.

Tony heard his name called out by his alpha, and he let out a louder whine as he looked around more frantically until a path cleared out before him, and suddenly Steve was there. Tony’s legs moved on their own as he ran to Steve as fast as he could, jumping into the alpha’s arms as Steve met him halfway down the cleared path. Those strong alpha arms picked up Tony from the ground and held him tight, as if it had been years since they had seen each other and not just half a year. Tony was so caught up in the moment that he wrapped his legs around Steve’s torso and held on tight, taking in his scent and relaxing in the familiarity of it. He didn’t even care that they were only hugging and taking in each other’s scents. Kissing be damned, this was the closest Tony had ever felt to his alpha before.

Steve had his arms wrapped tightly around his omega, eyes shut just as tight as he smiled into Tony’s shoulder. He held the brunet up for several minutes, just hugging and scenting as needed, until Steve finally felt like Tony was thoroughly covered with his alpha scent again, and he allowed the omega to stand on his own feet once more. Only then did they finally share a kiss with each other, Tony pressing in close to Steve and sighing happily.

“God, you have no idea how badly I missed you,” Tony muttered while resting his head on Steve’s chest, listening to that strong heartbeat that calmed him.

“I’m sure he missed you just as much as you missed him,” Bucky spoke up, poking his head into Tony’s field of vision.

“Bucky!” Tony quickly pulled away from his alpha, rushing into the arms of his best friend with a wide smile on his face. Bucky’s familiar scent was also comforting to the brunet, the peppery smell feeling almost like a second home, some place Tony could be safe and not worry about the troubles of the world. He casually ignored seeing his father pull away from the group to jog over to the hanger entrance where Maria was still standing after Tony had left her side to find Steve. He’d greet his father later. For now, he had Steve and Bucky to catch up with, and he knew his mother wanted to catch up with Howard just as much as Tony wanted Steve to hold him. He was sure Howard wouldn’t be upset at a delayed greeting from him.

“Good to see you’re your normal self,” the dark haired alpha said, ruffling Tony’s hair when he stepped back. “How’s your rib?”

“Pretty much healed at this point,” Tony replied, stepping back so he could look at both alphas that meant so much to him. “Doctor got onto me about not letting my original injury heal all the way before I dove into a fight.”

“Yeah, well I think we can take partial blame for that,” Steve said. “We did clear you for fighting even though you weren’t fully healed quite yet.”

“I was healed enough that I didn’t have pain any more. But that doesn’t matter. What does matter is that you two are home again, and I don’t have to worry about random alphas trying to hit on me and take me home with them.”

Steve growled a little bit. 

“Relax,” the omega said with a laugh. “I made sure to decline their offers, and besides, I never went out in public alone. I was either with my mom or Jarvis.”

“Now he’s got you,” Bucky said, looking at Steve. “So you can calm down and hug him again because it’s been months since you two last saw each other, and I’m sure there’s things going to happen in the bedroom later, so get the cuddling done now so I don’t have to see the other stuff.”

Steve made a sort of choked noise as Bucky pushed him closer to Tony with a shit-eating grin. “You know, you could make an effort to get your own omega,” he said when Tony was back in his arms, hugging him.

Bucky shrugged. “Haven’t found the right partner yet. But you have absolutely no need to tell me to get an omega when you’ve got your own to worry about. And don’t argue with me on this, because I know how badly you two want to get a room and just go at it.”

Tony rolled his eyes, but Bucky was technically right. It had been months since Steve and Tony had last seen each other, let alone even touched, and Tony had spent a heat alone; which had been miserable. It was high time the alpha and omega got to spend time alone again. Besides, Tony did have another heat due very soon. His nest at home was already prepared, for the most part. Of course, it would have to be adjusted to allow Steve to join.

“We’ll have a room as soon as we get back to the manor,” the omega said while shifting his weight to one side. “And it’s far away from my parents’ room, so we don’t have to worry too much about being too loud.”

Steve felt a shiver go down his spine as the omega looked up at him with a smirk that held a lot of power in it. “Exactly how far away is your room from theirs?”

“Far enough, I promise.”

The blond sighed and looked up at Bucky, who just shrugged and gestured to Tony. 

“Okay,” Steve said, smiling at Tony. “We should probably leave soon, then. Don’t want to keep your parents waiting, and I don’t want to keep Bucky from missing his next flight to New York.”

“My sister would not be very happy with me if I missed my flight,” the dark haired alpha said, picking up his bags with a smirk. “I’ll write when I get to her house. Don’t know when I’ll see you two again, but write me any time.”

Tony and Steve both nodded, and the omega approached Bucky to give him a tight hug. "Come see us for Thanksgiving or Christmas if you can."

"Don't worry, I'll try my hardest. Besides, my sister might not want me around for long anyways." Bucky chuckled as he hugged Tony back with one arm.

“Just let us know ahead of time,” the omega said. “So we can have a room set up for you to stay in.”

Bucky nodded, hugged Tony once more, then hugged Steve. “Gonna miss you guys. See you around the holidays.” He saluted, and then Bucky turned on his heel and walked away from his two friends, a smile on his face the whole time.

Tony sighed as he stepped back to Steve and wrapped his arms around him. “I’m so glad you’re back,” he said in a soft voice.

“Glad to be back,” Steve replied. “I missed you, Tony.”

“And I missed you.” Tony smiled up at Steve before pulling away. “Come on, I’m sure Dad wants to get home as soon as possible.”

* * *

Having Steve back was so relieving to Tony. He hadn’t realized how stressed he got while the alpha was away. As soon as Steve was back in the picture, Tony was more relaxed about nearly everything. Doing chores were less of a hassle, prepping for his next heat went much smoother, and even working on his own designs for weapons and armor proved to be more enjoyable. Tony wouldn’t admit that he had become completely dependent on his alpha, but certainly being around him had turned him into a bit more of an omega than he had been in the past. Not that that was a bad thing. Tony was actually liking having Steve around to do some things, like getting objects off high shelves and opening jars that were being particularly tough to open.

Of course there was the obvious improvement of mood during Tony’s heat. Going through heat was hard enough without Steve around, and Tony had to admit that his body had already grown dependent on the alpha that satisfied him during the heats they shared. Having that satisfaction taken away was torturous for the omega. Thankfully he didn’t need to worry about not being satisfied for his August heat. 

Tony’s August heat was, in fact, the best heat he had experienced since he and Steve began sharing heats. Finally being able to let loose, mostly, and not give a damn about the noises he made or the pleas he voiced to Steve, Tony enjoyed his heat for once, which rarely happened, even with his alpha being present. Having Steve return, however, seemed to have a pleasing effect that completely exempted the normal discomfort of heats. Tony was glad he didn’t have to worry about feeling uncomfortable when his mate was around.

As soon as Tony’s August heat was over, Steve picked up on helping around the manor, trying to live a settled life as best as he could while knowing he could be called back to duty at any time if things escalated in the plan for attacking the Hydra base. Steve fully enjoyed waking up to Tony at his side in the mornings and then helping make breakfast with Jarvis if he woke up early enough. Many of the common household things that were expected of servants, butlers, and omegas Steve learned in his time at the Stark manor. Thankfully he was living in a house with mostly betas who didn’t care either way if Steve, Jarvis, or Tony got things done. Besides, Tony hardly got to do any chores once Steve moved in for the few months he would be spending with the Starks, and the alpha preferred it to stay that way. Steve was a strong supporter of equality for all human life, thus his dedication to helping out at the Stark manor anytime he could. Just because he was an alpha didn’t mean he had to act like one all the time.

Slowly the months went by as the seasons changed from Summer to Autumn, temperatures gradually getting cooler as the new season settled in. The ocean waters put off colder breezes, causing morning runners to bundle up on their daily jogs before shedding all that clothing to adjust to the days that were still rather warm. August turned to September, October, and November, the heat of the day finally relenting and setting to a more comfortable range for anyone who participated in outdoor activities. 

Steve and Tony found that they liked spending time up in the mountains, hiking on trails and chasing each other around the trees and bushes with laughter and wide smiles. Though the two had been through rough spots in their relationship, they seemed to be as happy as ever, as if the war had been forgotten completely and they simply focused on being around each other and enjoying their freedom. If they weren’t at the manor, they were probably out far away from the city and having a picnic somewhere with a beautiful view of the ocean. It was their little way of escaping reality even further and developing their relationship even more than they already had. 

Around mid November, a letter from Bucky came, announcing that he would be heading back to London to help lead the Howling Commandos on a few smaller missions. He regretted to inform Steve and Tony that he wasn’t going to travel to California to spend the holidays with them, as much as they had all looked forward to it. The couple mourned the loss of time spent with their friend, but they understood that something like this was bound to happen. 

Thanksgiving at the Stark manor turned into a somewhat large party, the home filled with the smells of spices and alcohol galore. Several relatives attended, as did friends and former co-workers. Much activity buzzed through the manor, and Jarvis has his hands full with accommodating guests, but thankfully he had the help of other servants from various other households that attended the party, so he wasn’t completely overworked. He was happiest working and away from most of the drunken guests anyways.

Tony and Steve had dressed up quite nicely to attend the party, despite Tony opposing his mother’s nagging to attend. Truth be told, he really had just wanted to spend time with Steve alone in his room. Steve had dressed in his army service uniform, and he wasn’t the only one. There were some veterans attending the party, as well as other currently active servicemen who happened to be on leave along with Steve. Tony, who was practically clinging to Steve’s side, was dressed in a more flashy top that had a tail that ran nearly the whole length of his legs, along with a simple pair of tighter fitting slacks. To say that the alpha and omega couple stole the show was an understatement. Several of the guests, mainly the servicemen, wanted a chance to talk to Steve and playfully flirt with Tony. That, however, was quickly shut down by the omega as soon as one of the alphas winked at him and hinted at some very obscene things right in front of Steve.

As extravagant as the party was, it wasn’t exactly entertaining to the younger couple. Most of the guests were at least as old as Howard and Maria, which left Tony and Steve with very few people to relate to through the night. If they weren’t taking with veterans, they were standing to the side in a corner, sipping on drinks and eating little blocks of cheese. Not exactly how the two wanted to spend Thanksgiving, but at least they weren’t off fighting in the war. They had a chance to relax and be themselves, and there was no way they were going to waste their time.

Tony stifled yet another bored yawn as he watched his parents dance to the music playing through the radio. He would have loved to take Steve out to the dance floor and twirl around until the first light of dawn lit up the sky, but he didn’t feel comfortable showing how badly he could dance compared to everyone else in the room.

“Are you as bored as I am?” Steve asked before taking a sip of his water.

“Extremely. I want to go dance, but I’ll look stupid around everyone else. Besides, I think most of these people expect me to act like an actual omega…” Tony sighed and rolled his eyes.

Steve shrugged. “How bad do you want to dance? I’ll lead so it looks like you’re obeying me.” 

Tony snorted. “I don’t want to dance that bad. I’ll settle for keeping myself in the corner, thank you.”

“It was worth a try. I don’t really want to dance in front of these people anyways.”

“Glad we agree on that.”

The two fell silent again as they went on watching the party from the corner. At one point, Tony stepped closer to Steve when a slower song came on, swaying his hips gently to the beat as he watched his parents once more. They looked so happy together, but Tony couldn’t help but scowl when his father smiled. He hadn’t forgiven what the man had done to him as soon as the Howling Commandos had gotten back from Czechoslovakia. Taking away a freedom that Steve had given him was almost unforgivable.

When the party was finally over, Tony retreated back to his room as soon as he could get away. He didn’t want to say goodbye to all the old, rich alphas and their omegas. Something about seeing those omegas being forced to obey their mates made Tony feel sick to his stomach. It made him hope for better omegan rights in his lifetime, if he was lucky.

Quickly shedding his fancy clothes, Tony fell back on his bed and into the half made nest that had slowly been falling apart since the end of his heat back in August. Soon it would be time to build it back up again, but that could wait. All Tony wanted that night was to curl up with Steve and sleep peacefully while the worries of the world faded away. Sighing, he curled up on his side and closed his eyes, listening to Steve move around the room and eventually join him on the bed. He instantly felt better once the big alpha wrapped his arms around him. 

“Have I ever told you how glad I am to have you back?” Tony asked while opening his eyes again to look at Steve.

“I’m sure you’ve told me several times, but I won’t be opposed to being told again.” Steve smiled as he shifted to kiss Tony's neck.

"Then I'm glad to have you back. Having you around… it's been good for me. Ever since we started dating, I've gotten more dependent on you, and I don't see it as a bad thing anymore." Tony smiled, looking up at Steve. "I love you, Steve."

"And I love you, Tony." The blond pulled Tony closer with a happy sigh. "I'm glad I got that serum. There was no way you were going to be interested in dating a sick stick of a beta."

"Hey now, don't sell yourself short. Your personality didn't change just because you were turned into an alpha supersoldier. Who knows, I might have been interested in you when you were a beta."

Steve chuckled. "Thank you, I'm glad you think you might have considered dating me as a beta."

“Might have, those are the key words.” Tony smirked as he tapped Steve’s nose.

The alpha snorted, then he claimed a kiss that was as possessive as it really could be, leaving Tony moaning and picking at Steve’s clothes. Since they both had Tony’s room available for their privacy, the two had taken advantage of it and had some intimate times outside of Tony’s heats. It was nice to not have to worry about using protection to prevent a pregnancy outside of heats. Tony was sure glad he didn’t have that extra amount of anxiety to worry about while the war was raging on. Pregnancy was the last thing on his mind, and he hoped the same was true for Steve. Besides, Steve had to worry about being Captain America first and foremost.

Another moan came from Tony’s lips, the brunet shifting to move his hips against his alpha’s. He’d be lying if he were to say he wasn’t ready for Steve to take him during his next heat already. It wasn’t too far off anyways, and his August heat had been such a rush that he was glad Steve had been smart enough to remember protection.

Before Tony could do much else, Steve pushed him away slightly, suddenly having a very serious look on his face. “Tony, I need to talk to you before your next heat. This is important, so I need your full attention.”

Tilting his head, Tony sat up and looked at his alpha as he too sat up. “What? Don’t tell me you’re going to leave me again…”

“No, no! I’m not leaving for London again yet. But this concerns your heat.” Steve sighed. “You know alphas typically go into rut around the same time their omega has a heat. They line up after the two have been around each other for a while.”

“Yeah, I know that. Basic knowledge every omega has to learn to accommodate for their alpha…”

“That’s not what this is about, I promise. But I wanted to tell you… some alphas only get ruts once or twice a year, and I had one back in February, right after you left. That…” Steve paused, clearing his throat. “Well, I mean I don’t want to compare it to your heats, because I know spending those alone are miserable.”

“More than miserable, but I see where you’re coming from,” Tony said. “You spent a rut without me and I spent a heat without you…”

Steve nodded. “Well, ruts are a bit different compared to heats, aside from the obvious,” Steve continued. “Heats you can feel coming only hours before, if that. Ruts you can feel coming days, even weeks before. I don’t know when your next heat is due to arrive, but… I just want you to know that I can feel another rut coming. I’ve felt it for about a week now, and I don’t know how much longer until it finally hits.”

Tony flushed as he listened to his alpha. “So...your rut might happen at the beginning of the month?”

Again, Steve nodded. “I know that’s soon, so I wanted to tell you in case it happens before your next heat.”

“I’m scheduled for another in December... Maybe our bodies are synching up with each other finally.”

“Ruts can make omegas go into heat if they happen before the scheduled heat,” Steve said, taking one of Tony’s hands and wrapping it up in both of his. “I’d at least hope you’re starting to have urges to nest again.”

“Yeah, of course I am. I almost always have the urge to nest, even when a heat isn’t near.” Tony shrugged and looked at the bed and all the old nesting materials that probably needed a wash. Though they had been washed after the last heat, they were already dirty from the two sleeping on them. It wasn’t like they were indestructible. 

Steve’s eyes lit up when Tony mentioned he was finding the urge to nest again. “Just so you know, I’m not letting the army take me away until after our rut and heat is over.”

“I would hope so. There’s no way I’m letting you leave me mid-heat to go play hero.”

“Colonel Phillips couldn’t get me to leave you if he said the president urgently wanted to talk to me.”

Tony rolled his eyes with a smile. “Okay, Captain. You didn’t need to bring up that old-ass alpha when you’re enough alpha for me.”

Steve chuckled and pulled Tony back into the bed, pulling the covers up over them and spooning the brunet with a happy sigh. “I hope you can come back with me to London. It got lonely pretty quick without you around.”

“So dependent on me now, are you?” Tony smirked. “Maybe I’ll stay here where it’s safe and you can send me letters again.”

Steve whined while tightening his grip on the omega. 

“Oh my god, I’m not actually going to stay here,” the brunet said with a laugh. “I’m gonna go back with you, if I have any say in the matter.”

“I don’t want to go anywhere without you now. If I’d have to leave you here again, I think I might go mad.”

“We don’t want that, now do we?” Tony rolled over, despite Steve’s whine of opposition, and kissed the alpha’s nose. “I’m gonna be right by your side until this war ends, no matter what.”

Steve kissed Tony gently and pulled back to smile at his omega. “Right by my side, even after the war.”

“Yeah… I like the sound of that.” Tony curled into Steve. “Right by your side until we die.”

“Perfect.”

* * *

The first full week of December was a hectic one, to say the very least. True to what Steve had said, the alpha had started going into rut, which was a hassle to take care of for everyone who lived in the Stark manor. For Steve, of course he struggled with control outside of the bedroom. Every moment it seemed like he wanted to take Tony to the bed and breed him until both alpha and omega were so exhausted they passed out. For Maria, she attempted to stay away from the rutting alpha as much as possible. She knew that all Steve wanted was Tony, and that was fine with her, as long as neither of them got hurt and they were responsible when taking things to the bed. Maria was thankful that just before Steve had gone into rut, Howard was called back to London for some research. Howard would be spared yet again the detail that Tony and Steve were physically intimate with each other.

With the manor once again rid of the male beta, a lot of tension seemed to dispel, much to the relief of Tony. He knew it was difficult to hide things from his father, but somehow he and Steve had managed to keep from Howard just how intimate the two were. It surprised Tony a little, but he wasn’t going to complain. Any time away from his father and keeping this secret successfully from him was a good time for Tony. 

Maria and Jarvis had busied themselves in the kitchen early one afternoon preparing foods for both alpha and omega, both knowing that with Steve in full rut, that Tony was likely to fall into heat soon. It could have been a couple more days, it could have been a couple more hours. It was all a guessing game as to when Tony might go into heat. At least the omega had his alpha around again, but it was still a but scary for Maria to know her son was going to go into heat around an alpha in rut. Usually when ruts and heats were spent together, clear thinking and sound minds weren’t a common practice. The mother just hoped that Tony and Steve would be smart about their decisions.

Upstairs in the bedroom, Tony was busy catering to Steve’s needs. He was thrown over the bed with his ass up in the air and the alpha pounding into him like it was the last day they were ever going to mate with each other. He couldn’t say that he wasn’t pleased with the alpha’s sudden interest in fucking him with all his might, but they had done it so much already, and Tony still hadn’t gone into preheat, despite having already made a proper nest and having a rutting alpha around.

Feeling like he was getting close to reaching his limit, Tony, turned his head to the side and glanced back at Steve, letting out a long breathy moan. He could only imagine what this rut would be like once he fell into heat, because Steve was already more amazing than usual. The rut definitely intensified the moment.

“Alpha… god, I’m close again,” Tony whined, squeezing his eyes shut, and then a few seconds later he cried out and spilled his orgasm onto the sheets at the bottom of the nest.

It had only been the first time that day that they had gotten intimate, but Tony felt right out exhausted trying to provide all he could for his alpha in rut. Truthfully, Tony just wanted to sleep until his heat started up, and then he could handle taking Steve’s rut cock more than once in a day.

Lost in his thoughts, Tony was brought back to reality when Steve groaned and shoved his dick in as far as it could go, the knot inflating and causing the omega to inhale sharply and whimper, feeling Steve’s seed shoot deep inside him. Tony relaxed finally, his legs buckling beneath him. Despite how tired he was, he still loved feeling Steve's cum so deep in him outside of heat that he felt like he might get pregnant. 

Steve leaned down to nuzzle Tony’s jaw, muttering praises to his omega as he slowly gained control of his mind again. “God, Tony, you’re always so good at taking my cock.”

Tony moaned in response, feeling a little spark of heat in his belly again. “Well, I try to keep up with how good your cock is.”

A chuckled rumbled through the alpha. “You relax, I’ll get us cleaned up when my knot releases.”

“Thank god,” Tony said with a sigh. “Steve, can we take a break after you clean us up? Your rut is amazing and I love it, but my body can’t handle it as well out of heat.”

Steve’s smile faded, concern growing on his face. “Yes, of course, Tony. Are you okay? I didn’t push you too hard, did I?”

Tony gave a weak smile. “Silly alpha… I’m fine, just exhausted. That’ll be a different story once I’m in heat though.”

Relaxing a bit Steve wrapped his arms around Tony and turned them so they were on their sides. He kissed the back of the omega’s neck gently, taking in the strong omegan scent. Very faintly, he could smell a slight change that signaled Tony’s heat would come very soon. The alpha made a pleased rumbling sound at the scent.

“Your heat is coming soon.”

“Thank you, Captain Obvious, I knew that.” Tony chuckled.

Steve rolled his eyes. “I meant within the next 24 hours. I can smell your scent start to change.”

“Finally. Maybe I can sleep through my preheat and the first few hours of the actual heat.”

“I’d let you sleep as much as you need, even if my rut stirs up again.”

Tony hummed. “What did I do to deserve such a caring alpha like you?”

“Nothing, Tony. You didn’t need to anything for me to want you. All you had to do was be yourself.”

That got a happy noise out of the omega, but also got a few tears to be shed. Tony was glad Steve didn’t see them. “That… you don’t know how happy that makes me.” Tony’s voice cracked with emotion, betraying himself.

“Oh, Tony…” The alpha only held Tony tighter rubbing as much of his scent on the omega as possible. “You’re so special, and you deserve to know that. Whatever your dad says about you, it’s not true.”

Tony choked back more tears as he listened to Steve’s words. They were all true, and no matter what Howard had ever said to Tony, none of it mattered. Tony was special, and Steve could see that. Steve wanted to protect what was special about Tony, even if it meant yelling in Howard’s face and telling the beta just how much Tony meant to the alpha. The mental image of Steve telling Howard to fuck off made Tony feel warm inside, and he decided right then that he wanted to stay with Steve the rest of his life.

“God I love you, Steve…”

“I love you too, Tony,” the alpha replied, smiling. “Everything will be okay, I promise.”

Tony eventually fell asleep to the sound of Steve telling him how loved he was and how much he meant to the alpha. It was soothing enough to relax him and let him rest as long as he needed. He didn’t even wake up when Steve was able to get up and clean up the both of them. He slept through Steve putting a blanket over him and Maria bringing by their food and water to keep their energy up. He even slept through Steve leaving briefly to join Maria and Jarvis for dinner. Tony’s exhaustion let him sleep well past when the sun went down, when his preheat finally hit and prepared his body for his full heat. Having Steve around in rut cause his preheat to last much shorter than usual, and when his body shifted over into full heat, Tony instinctively shifted around in his sleep and built up the nest just a little more, making him feel safer as he slept.

The omega didn’t wake up until late in the night, the moon high and full and shining soft light into the room. When Tony woke, he moaned softly, not yet willing to wake up his alpha. He sat up slowly and took in a deep breath, Steve's scent thick with rut, causing a wave of slick to rush out of Tony's body. He moaned again, moving his legs so he was sitting indian style and balling up his fists in his lap. An intense feeling of need made Tony shiver, and he looked over at Steve’s sleeping figure, which only made him produce more slick. 

Tony was going to have the whole nest soaked if he didn’t wake Steve up right that moment, but he just couldn’t bring himself to do it yet. His stomach growled from hunger and need, and both feelings were equally as intense. Tony really needed to eat before he was ready to take on Steve once more, but…

“Fuck it,” Tony muttered before he climbed on top of the alpha and straddled him. Another moan escaped when he felt Steve’s cock brush against his thigh. “Oh god… alpha…”

He started to move his hips against the alpha’s closing his eyes as he stopped himself from straight up slapping Steve awake. Luckily Tony didn’t have to wait for long for Steve to finally wake up. The room was practically saturated with the omega’s scent, so it was only a matter of time before the alpha responded and woke up, wide eyed and intensely focused on his omega.

Steve’s hands very quickly flew to Tony’s hips as he woke up, a low throaty groan filling the room as his blue eyes focused on Tony. A new wave of his rut hit him all at once, and then he was growling as he made Tony move faster, demanding that the omega keep up with his seemingly insatiable need.

Tony’s eyes snapped wide open, then closed again with a louder moan. More slick ran out of his body, coating Steve’s stomach in it. The scent of omega in heat intensified the more slick was spread out over the alpha’s body, which as a result only made Steve more eager to fuck Tony. 

“Omega,” Steve growled out, looking up at Tony through his lashes. His blue eyes seemed to turn darker the longer Tony grinded against him, and his alpha side was going absolutely wild. No clear thoughts made their way to the front of his mind, because all he could focus on was the omega on top of him and his need to flip Tony over and fuck him until the sun rose.

Tony’s eyes were glittering with tears as he looked back down at Steve. He wanted Steve badly, and the alpha wasn’t doing anything but looking up at him and growling. What a brat Steve was being. 

“Alpha,” Tony moaned, trying to get Steve to do something more as more slick rushed out of him. He was clearly dripping wet already, he was ready to take Steve into his body, he wanted the alpha’s cock as badly as he wanted food. Whimpering, Tony tried wiggling his hips back against Steve’s hardening cock, begging wordlessly for the alpha to take over already.

The wiggling seemed to help, because Steve was growling louder and shifting until Tony was beneath him, a panting and whimpering mess ready to take his alpha. Steve bathed in the omega’s scent when he leaned down to lick Tony’s neck where his scent gland was. The action caused a shiver to run through the omega’s body, and Steve growled once more at the shiver, knowing full well how much power he held over Tony in that moment. 

“Alpha please,” Tony begged, his arms spread out over his head while looking up at Steve. “Take me alpha…”

Steve tossed his head to the side like an animal and exhaled through his nose. He was fighting back against something, but whatever he was fighting against didn’t take long to beat down, because the alpha was grabbing Tony’s hips and flipping the omega over onto his stomach, forcing him into the submissive position that Steve went crazy over. He groaned lowly yet again as he grabbed Tony’s ass cheeks and spread them apart, shoving his face forward to lap up the slick that just seemed to be pouring out of Tony’s ass. 

Tony cried out and moaned into one of Steve’s shirts that made up part of the nest’s wall. He couldn’t do anything more than moan and whimper as Steve ate out his ass, that expert tongue flicking and moving in ways that Tony was sure he himself couldn’t come close to replicating. A huge shiver ran through his body, and then his body produced more slick to cover Steve’s face in. Tony moaned shakily as he was at the mercy of the alpha’s tongue.

Being satisfied with his performance, Steve sat back finally and wiped his face off, not bothering to wipe his hands on the sheets before he was grabbing Tony’s hips and pulling them up more. He settled his cock between the omega’s ass cheeks and thrusted a couple times to coat himself in Tony’s slick. He was pleased with all the noises his omega was making, so he growled back as a response, and then finally he pressed the tip of his cock against Tony’s waiting hole.

“Oh fuck! Alpha!” Tony cried out with another rush of slick, gripping the sheets and shirts when he felt Steve push against his hole, and then slide the tip of his cock inside.

Steve didn’t let Tony adjust much, he just pushed his cock all the way inside and then started up a pace only a few seconds after. With as much slick as there was, Steve’s cock had no trouble being able to slide in and out easily without any resistance. 

As soon as Steve started thrusting into Tony, the omega was a moaning mess that could barely keep his hips up in the air. His stomach churned with excitement at the feeling of how deep the alpha was already reaching. It was so deep that tony was seeing stars with every thrust back inside of him. The intensity of each thrust was enough to make Tony’s eyes water more. He was loving taking Steve’s cock as far as the alpha wanted, and Tony was pretty sure this was the best he had ever felt in his entire life. There wasn’t a single moment that was better than sharing a heat with his alpha in rut.

Steve’s mind was completely blank from any thoughts other than the singular thought of his duty as an alpha that motivated him to keep going, thrust deeper and harder. Bond with the omega, bite his neck, put a baby in his stomach. Somewhere in the back of his mind there was a slight opposition of the thought of claiming Tony for good, that promise of waiting until they married to finally bond, which would happen after the war was over. It felt like such a long time to wait, but Steve was still a respectable alpha, and he wasn’t going to violate a promise he made to his omega simply because he was in rut.

Steve’s movements slowed a little as he remembered his promise to not bite yet, but as soon as that thought was in his mind, it was gone, and he was back to the intense pace he had set. No single thought was going to prevent him from making sure his omega felt needed and satisfied.

Tony had relaxed slightly when Steve had slowed for all of ten seconds, so he cried out in surprise when the alpha picked up speed again, and in the depths of his belly he could feel his climax build up. He was close, dangerously close already, he realized, but he was trying to hold on as long as he could. Yeah, they had his whole heat to go for longer, but Tony wasn’t ready to stop yet. He wanted more of his alpha, wanted to feel just how far Steve was willing to go to satisfy his omega.

Tony didn’t have to wait long for that to happen, because Steve was covering him with his body and grabbing his cock to stroke it and push him closer to the edge. Tony gasped and whimpered, eyebrows turned up almost as far as they could go as Steve jerked him off while also still thrusting into him. It was almost too much stimulation. The stars he was seeing before got more intense, and his breath kept hitching on his moans and cries. Tony was in no way able to form coherent words for Steve to hear. He was far past that point as he was pushed closer and closer to his climax. He could feel his stomach tighten up, and it would only take a few more strokes…

Steve leaned his head down close to Tony’s and spoke a few simple words, a smirk on his face as he knew exactly what he was doing to the omega by speaking. “Cum for me, omega.”

Those words sent Tony flying over the edge, and the omega simply couldn’t hold on any longer. He cried out loudly and squeezed his eyes as tight as he could, his cock twitching as he came hard and fast into Steve’s hand. Even behind closed eyes, Tony could see those stars intensify and almost cause him to black out as his body shook with his orgasm, attempting to clamp down on the knot he wanted so badly.

Steve reacted almost violently to Tony’s orgasm, growling loudly and pushing Tony’s hips down into the sheets. His knot inflated and pulled against Tony’s entrance as he was locked inside, and then after a few more struggling thrusts, he himself came with his climax, biting down on his own lips as he groaned and filled Tony deep with his seed. There was no second thought to the action, just the feeling of love and appreciation for such a good omega.

Steve came for a long time, a new wave of cum shooting into Tony after the tiniest bit of movement, and the omega couldn't say that he hated being absolutely filled to the brim with Steve’s cum. The two eventually calmed down to simple moans and little whimpers when the alpha pulled against Tony’s hole locking him in. Soon they were just laying there, Steve on top of Tony and breathing deeply with heavy eyelids. Tony wasn’t going to complain about having Steve put his full weight on top of him. Keeping the alpha right where he was, was more than comfortable for the spent omega. Tony didn’t think of anything other than satisfaction, and how amazing Steve was.

Before the two drifted back to sleep, Steve hummed low in Tony’s ear. “Sweet omega…”


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HELLO EVERYONE I'M BACK!!!
> 
> Finals went very well! I passed all my classes for the semester so I'd call that a win lol But here's the next update for yal! There's just a little bit of everything in this chapter. Fluff, smut, angst, you name it. Enjoy, and Happy Holidays!  
-BWP

The day Tony's heat ended started slow. His heat had ended some time in the early morning, so when he woke up, he was painfully aware of how disgusting he was. There were a lot of dried body fluids on him, and he was in desperate need of a bath or shower. Groaning, he got out of the nest, that was pretty much destroyed, and stretched, grimacing when he felt a bit of pain in his rear. Looking over at the calendar, Tony tried to figure out what day it was. He narrowed it down to December 13th or 14th. He’d have to check with his mother.

Looking back at the bed, Tony smiled. His alpha was sound asleep with the covers half off his body, mouth open in a quiet snore. Tony let Steve sleep a little longer as he grabbed some fresh clothes and some peanuts that Maria had put in a dish for them before his heat started. Tony was starving, but he needed a shower more than anything.

As he walked, Tony noticed more areas of pain, specifically in his legs. He was finding it somewhat difficult to walk on his own, but he’d get over it eventually. Besides, the warm water of a shower might help take away some of the pain. At the very least he would be happy to wash off all the dried slick, sweat, and cum, and to finally smell nice again. 

As he suspected, the shower worked wonders to ease away some aches and pains, and of course to wash away any evidence of his heat. Tony stayed in the shower until the water started to run cold, then he got out and dried himself off, sighing happily while knowing he was finally clean and free to go about normal life again. Putting on his warm, clean clothes, Tony left the bathroom, and seeing that Steve was still asleep, he left his bedroom as silently as possible, making sure not to wake the alpha who was no doubt exhausted from going into rut and satisfying his omega in heat.

Tony was greeted with the smell of breakfast cooking, which made him smile. His stomach growled loudly, and he wondered if whoever in the kitchen could hear it from where he was on the stairs. The omega soon found his mother and Jarvis both working hard to make a breakfast of eggs, bacon, and pancakes. All three foods sounded absolutely delightful to the omega, and he almost moaned at the promise of real food again, as opposed to the snacks he and Steve had shared during his heat. Briefly, Tony tried to remember how good his heat was with Steve in rut, but he couldn’t remember much. He dismissed the thoughts and cleared his throat as he entered the kitchen.

Maria, who was at the stove making the pancakes, turned quickly with wide eyes. A smile quickly graced her face when she noticed it was her son who had made noise. “Tony, oh I’m so glad to see you’re awake!” She hurried over to the brunet omega and pulled him into a tight hug. “I was wondering how much longer you were going to be in heat.”

“It ended last night,” Tony said as he hugged his mother back. “To be honest, I don’t remember much of it. It’s all kind of a haze.”

“Well I can’t say I’m surprised. Your alpha _ was _ in rut after all.”

Tony flushed, turning his attention to the stove. “Are those normal pancakes?”

“Some, yes, but I made sure to add some chocolate chip ones for you.” Maria moved back to the stove to flip the pancakes. “I added some cinnamon ones for Steve as well.”

“I’m not sure he’ll be up for breakfast. He was still fast asleep when I got out of my shower, and I showered for a long time.”

“Well, whenever he comes down, he has pancakes waiting.”

“Good morning, Tony,” Jarvis said, turning away from the bacon and eggs long enough to greet the young Stark. “I hope you are well rested after your heat.”

“As well as I’m going to be for the moment.” Tony smiled at the butler. “Thanks for breakfast. Glad I get to eat a real meal for once.”

“You could have asked for real meals during your heat,” Maria said. “We would have gladly made you something.”

Tony shrugged. “I don’t think I ever had a mind sound enough to even think of asking for more food. I think I barely got breaks between my waves of need to eat and drink. Hell, I don’t think I ever cleaned up until this morning, which was absolutely disgusting.”

“I’m glad you decided to clean up before coming down, because you smell so nice now.” Maria smiled and reached a hand out to ruffle her son’s hair, still a bit damp from the water.

“I’m glad Dad left before Steve’s rut started, because that would have been a mess to deal with if he found out about Steve and I.” Tony sighed as he jumped up onto the island counter in the middle of the kitchen, wrapping his arms around his middle.

“I’m glad your father left, too,” Maria admitted. “He’s still not fond of you two dating.”

The omega shook his head. “Steve and I have been together for over a year now. He’s got to get used to it, because as far as I can tell, I’m not breaking up with Steve at all.”

“I know. He will just have to learn to let Steve take care of you. You know your father doesn’t like anyone else but him to be labeled as your caretaker.”

“I really hate that, you know,” Tony said. “The whole caretaker thing… I don’t like that I’m required to have one. Why can’t I just be a free person?”

Maria gave her son a sympathetic look. “I wish I could give you the answer to that, sweetie.”

“Maybe omegas will have more rights in the future. Then maybe when I’m 50 I can take his name off my identity as my caretaker.” Tony rolled his eyes. 

“One day, I’m sure, my dear.”

When breakfast was all cooked, Tony easily scarfed down three plates of food, and there was still tons more food left over for Steve to have whenever he woke up and came down the stairs. In the meantime, Tony dumped his used dishes into the sink and wandered around the manor for something to do. It seemed that Maria and Jarvis had begun setting up holiday decorations, which Tony loved. Everything already felt more light and cheery, except for the fact that Bucky was still over in London working with the Howling Commandos. Remembering that simple fact, Tony sighed and looked up at the large tree set up in the parlor. He missed the alpha dearly. Bucky had always given him great hugs, and that was what Tony wanted in that moment.

He was lost in thought when a pair of arms wrapped around him from behind. Briefly, he thought it might be Bucky, but the scent that accompanied the arms was spicier, and Tony knew it was Steve after that. He sighed and relaxed in his alpha's arms, closing his eyes.

“Hey,” Steve said gently, his voice still deep from sleeping.

“Hey. Have you eaten yet?”

“Yeah, your mom was kind enough to warm up the pancakes again for me.” 

Tony hummed, turning around in Steve’s arms. “Sleep well?”

Steve smiled and nodded. “Very. Jarvis is already cleaning up our room, so we don’t have to worry about that.”

“How nice of him. I hope he won’t mind how messy our nest is.” Tony chuckled as he pulled away.

“I’m sure our nest won’t dissuade him at all.” 

Pulling the alpha out of the room, Tony smiled wider. “Come on, let’s put up decorations today. We’ve got a lot of house to cover.”

For the rest of that day, the couple put up decorations and made cookies as snacks during breaks. Decorating the whole manor would take time, especially since decorations outside still needed to be put up. Nevertheless, within only a couple days, the Stark manor was looking cheerful and festive, which seemed to lift the spirits of everyone. Even a bit of soft Christmas music was playing in the parlor to further increase the holiday cheer.

Tony loved how warm and happy everything felt around his home. Not only was the house well decorated top to bottom, inside and out, but he also finally got to spend Christmas with his alpha. They had been prevented from doing so the previous year because of Steve going away on a mission--Not to mention their fight--but that year neither of them had anywhere to go until Steve was called back to duty, and so far, there hadn’t been any letter or call requesting his presence, so Tony was optimistic about Steve staying home for the holidays. He just hoped that nothing serious popped up in the few weeks to follow.

Those few weeks seemed to fly by as Christmas drew closer. Maria and Jarvis were quite busy with planning another big party to host, since it was common of the Starks to throw a huge party at nearly any big holiday. Tony made sure to stay away from the planning as much as possible, unless his smart mind was needed. Party planning wasn’t his forte, so he just stayed in his room with Steve most of the time and worked on invention designs. One of the more recent designs he had become obsessed with was the arc reactor that his uniform donned. It was probably going to need an upgrade as soon as he and Steve returned to London, so it was better to start working on designs before he was able to handle his uniform again.

As he worked on his sketches, Tony sighed and groaned, straightening his back and raising his hands high above his head to stretch himself out. He didn’t think he had been hunched over his drawings for that long, but it was probably time for a break anyways. Besides, it was finally Christmas Eve, and Tony had to get ready for the party that would be hosted later that night. He had gone and bought a new outfit to wear specifically for the party, and Steve had yet to see him in it.

With a smile on his face, Tony got up from where he was sitting on his bed and left his drawing supplies, moving over to his closet to pull out the sparkling red outfit. If someone had told him a couple years prior that he’d be wearing fancy omega outfits for parties, Tony would have laughed. But as time had gone on and Tony had stayed by Steve’s side, part of his omega self was starting to enjoy dressing up on the rare occasion, as long as Steve was also there looking as handsome as ever. Otherwise, Tony wasn’t going to dress as nice.

With the party only being a couple hours away, Tony needed to start getting ready. Otherwise he would be keeping his mother and his alpha waiting. There was no need for keeping the two most important people in his life waiting on him to look pretty. It was better to be ready early than to be rushing at the last minute. Tony grabbed his eyeliner palette and started painting on the dark makeup will new skill that he had developed in the past year. When he was satisfied with how it looked, he focused on a bit more makeup, such as blush and a bit of contouring, before he was satisfied with his work. It was only then that he got into his outfit, which was accompanied by a knock on his bedroom door. Groaning, Tony headed to the door and cracked it open to see who it was. Thankfully it was just his mother.

"Hi, Tony, can I come in?"

The omega nodded with a smile, opening the door further so his mother could enter. “I’m almost done getting ready.”

“You look so beautiful,” Maria said, cupping Tony’s face with her hands. “You used to complain so much about having to dress up for these parties, you know.”

“I remember,” Tony said. “That was before I had an alpha to ward off any others who wanted to court me. Now I don’t have to worry so much about what I wear.”

“Well, you still look amazing, especially in this outfit, my goodness.” Maria smiled as she walked around her son, getting a good look at him. “Oh, I think Steve is going to love this a lot.”

“You think so?” Tony looked down at the outfit on his body. 

“I know so.” The mother pulled Tony in for a hug. “People should start showing up soon. Fix up your hair and come down when you’re ready.”

“I won’t keep you waiting too long,” Tony promised, watching his mother leave.

It took Tony maybe another half hour to finish getting ready for the party. While he picked out a pair of shoes, he almost had an overwhelming desire to just throw on his boots and not give a damn that they didn’t match his outfit. He wanted to be back with his friends in the Howling Commandos, truthfully, but he knew he had to wait until Steve was called back to duty to see them again. It wasn’t that much longer, he told himself, slipping on a pair of heeled shoes than made him a little taller. Soon. Soon he would be back with his friends.

As Tony left his room, the spicy cinnamon smell that was often associated with the holidays filled his nose, and he could hear the lively music playing as well. Down the hallway he went with a smile plastered on his face. As a last minute accessory, Tony had thrown on a pair of tinted glasses that complemented the red in his outfit. His hair had been swept back, and he looked like he was worth a million bucks.

Okay, he technically _ was _ worth a million bucks, but this was the first time in a long time that he actually felt like it.

When he got to the staircase, there were several people gathered around talking already. Maria was busy making rounds and greeting everyone, thanking them for coming, a glass of champagne in her hands. Tony smiled, seeing his mother look happy and actually enjoying the party. His eyes roamed about as he noticed he was catching most everyone’s attention. He didn’t much care for the many pairs of eyes taking him in, as he was more concerned about where Steve was. Tony finally spotted him right as the blond looked up the stairs at him. A genuine smile graced Tony’s lips as he started to descend the stairs, Steve moving toward him with a dazed look on his face.

When they met at the bottom of the stairs, Tony chuckled. “Don’t let your mouth hang open for too long, Captain. You’ll catch flies.”

Steve raised an eyebrow. “Tony, you look amazing… When did you get this outfit?”

“Oh, about a week ago,” the omega replied as he took Steve’s arm and walked through the crowding people to the parlor.

“I don’t know how I missed you buying it. It looks very good on you,” Steve complimented, leaning down to kiss Tony’s cheek.

“I knew you’d like it. That’s why I picked it out for tonight.” Tony smiled and leaned against Steve, bumping their hips together. “You know you always look good when you’re in your uniform.”

“I do try. Bucky says I look out of place in it though. Probably because he’s known me as the scrawny little beta for most of his life.” Steve shrugged with a smile. 

“He probably doesn’t like that you’re taller than him now,” Tony said. “You alphas do tend to be sensitive about that kind of stuff.”

The omega laughed when Steve raised an eyebrow at him. “Oh relax, you big dumb alpha. Your alphaness isn’t so sensitive that you’re offended by what I said.”

“But what if I am?” Steve asked playfully with a smirk. “Maybe I’ll teach you not to say something so offensive next time.”

“Oh? How are you going to teach me?” Tony asked as he grabbed himself a glass of champagne from the tray Jarvis was carrying around.

“I think you know how,” Steve growled low in Tony’s ear, which made the omega shiver.

“Stop that, you’ll make me ruin my outfit!” Tony flushed bright red as he drank his champagne.

Steve chuckled. “But why? It makes me happy to see you like this. But I do like this outfit. I would hate to see it ruined. It was probably pretty expensive too.”

Tony nodded. “Damn right it was, so behave yourself until after the party!”

“Well maybe I can’t hold myself back from taking you straight up to the bedroom,” Steve rumbled.

“Fuck…” Tony leaned heavily against his alpha, hiding his face. “You can’t just say things like that. I’m really going to ruin this outfit.”

The alpha smiled. “Okay, I’ll stop. Don’t want you to leave the party early anyways.”

Sighing, Tony smiled back. “You’re a pain. I hope you’re not like this when we go back to London, because we’d never get things done.”

“A little fun outside of work isn’t all that bad, Tony.”

“You wouldn’t be able to keep your hands off of me. Once the war is over, you’ll be stuck to my side like glue, I guarantee it.”

Steve rolled his eyes. “If you say so. But I think it’ll be _ you _ stuck to me."

The brunet shook his head, clearly not thinking he would be the one to be stuck to his partner’s side, despite spending nearly every minute with the alpha. “Nope, I’ve lived over 20 years without an alpha, I can do 20 more.”

“Sure about that, Doll? Because it seems to me like you can’t live without me now.” Steve purred in Tony’s ear again, making the omega whine and go a little weak in the knees. 

“Okay… maybe I can’t live without you now,” Tony admitted in a quiet voice. “But I’m still independent! I can at least survive if you’re not around.”

Steve smiled and hugged his omega close. “Well, I suppose it's good to know that you can take care of yourself when I’m not around to take care of you.”

“Of course I can take care of myself! I’m a Stark, I know how to get around.”

The party lasted well into the night, presents being handed out when the clock struck midnight. Maria had her hands full for sure, but thankfully Jarvis was there to help her hand out the presents to friends, family, and coworkers. Of course, presents between Maria, Tony, Steve, and Jarvis were saved until the morning, so they would have a more private family time to be merry and love each other. Handing out presents took what seemed like forever, and Tony admitted he wished he could just go to bed already. He wasn’t feeling the greatest anyways. Too much champagne, probably…

When the last of the presents had been handed out and people started to say their goodbyes, Tony sighed in relief, then yawned promptly after. He leaned against Steve as he watched the guests leave, closing his eyes for just a few seconds. He honestly didn’t notice when Steve picked him up and carried him back up to the bedroom and undressed him. It wasn’t until warm blankets were covering his body that he opened his eyes again, feeling half asleep. He groaned when he felt Steve curl up around him and kiss the back of his neck, then on the skin over his scent gland. The omega felt as happy he always did when he got to share his bed with his alpha. The holiday season had put him in a fantastic mood, however, so he was more happy than usual when Steve cuddled up to him. A happy sigh left his lips as he turned in Steve’s arms and snuggled closer. Only a few more minutes passed by of Tony being awake, and then he was lost in sleep until the next morning.

* * *

Tony woke up feeling very good. It took him a minute to process how good he felt, letting out a soft moan before opening his eyes. Ah, yes, that was why he felt so good.

Between his legs and looking up at him with bright blue eyes was Steve, the omega’s cock in his mouth and tongue working expertly to make every little noise escape Tony’s mouth. Tony moaned again, a little louder as he rolled his head to the side and let his eyes close again. The thought had just crossed his mind that Steve might not have even bothered to put Tony back into any clothing after taking off his party outfit. Looking up again, Tony noticed the outfit hanging up in his closet. He moaned yet again and brought his legs up around Steve’s head, keeping the alpha in place.

“Fuck,” the omega whispered when Steve sucked harder than previously and started bobbing his head at a decent speed. “S-steve…”

Steve growled low at Tony’s pleasure filled voice, unable to say anything back, so he grabbed Tony’s thighs and dug his fingers into them. He was pleased when a small rush of slick was produced. It was enough for him to work with for the moment, so while he continued to give Tony a blowjob, he took one hand and wiped up some of the slick, spreading it on his own cock and stroking it in time with his head bobbing. 

Tony gripped the sheets on the bed and moaned out again, his back arching up and legs squeezing Steve’s head, which prevented the alpha from moving very much. He shivered when Steve pulled his head free and shifted his position to line his cock up with Tony’s hole. It was going to be a tight fit, but the more Tony expected his alpha to make the first move, the more excited he got, and the more slick he produced. He was only helping his alpha be more prepared, which made him smile a little.

Steve was thrusting into Tony in a matter of seconds, his movements not as intense as they might be if they had been more awake. The alpha took it slow and gentle, simply enjoying the closeness he had with his omega in the morning hours of that beautiful Christmas day. There was no rush getting out of bed, so it was better to just stay in and enjoy it.

Tony wrapped his arms around Steve’s shoulders with a gentle sigh, mewling out little noises with each small thrust the alpha made. It was by no means at the level of intensity they had experienced during Tony’s last heat, but it was at the right level. It was love making in its true form, and it was blissful and wonderful and all the things Tony could come up with in his mind that was quickly being taken over by the mere presence of his alpha. He wasn’t going to have clear thoughts until well after Steve was finished.

Pulling Tony closer, Steve put his hands on either side of the omega’s head, and Tony wrapped his legs around Steve’s waist. Barely any of the omega’s body was still on the bed, and Steve loved it. He loved how close Tony felt, how the little enjoyable noises seemed to just keep coming, no matter what Steve did. It was a tender moment, and Steve couldn’t help but kiss Tony on the lips lovingly. 

As soon as their lips connected, Tony let out a little growl of his own, suddenly feeling possessive and more awake than he had been minutes before. Something in him just snapped, and he had no idea where the growl had come from. It was surprising to him, and to Steve as well, because the alpha had stopped his hips all together and looked down at Tony with wide eyes. Tony looked back with eyes just as wide, blinking before grabbing both sides of Steve’s head and pulling him into a rough, sloppy kiss. 

It was clear Steve loved Tony suddenly being more awake, because he kissed back with his own growl, pinning Tony down by his shoulders. When they pulled away to breathe, Tony tried growling again. It was a far cry from Steve’s alpha growl, but it was still more prominent than the first time he had tried it out in Czechoslovakia.

“Fuck me, alpha,” Tony demanded, squeezing his legs around Steve tighter, and he got exactly what he wanted as soon as the words were out of his mouth. 

Steve shoved his face into the crook of Tony’s neck and growled out again, moving his hips much faster than before and reaching deep inside the omega. No longer was he sleepy and focused on just pleasuring Tony. Now he was letting himself go wild, letting his alpha side take over and supply the demands the omega gave. 

“Oh, shit,” Tony groaned as he arched up into his alpha. He wanted to take every inch Steve offered him, wanted to feel how deep he could reach when they weren’t in heat or rut. 

There was a long moment where Tony couldn’t decide if he was on the edge of passing out or not. Everything was suddenly so intense and Steve was thrusting about as hard as he had when in rut, which was saying something. Steve didn’t usually ever get that intense when he was out of rut, but perhaps it was Tony’s growling that had set the alpha off, and Tony didn’t regret a bit of it.

The omega was quickly reduced down to just moans and whines, taking all of Steve at a merciless pace. There were no signs of the alpha slowing down, and Tony couldn’t say he was disappointed by that. The longer the alpha went, the better Tony felt.

Tony’s vision got spotty as his breath started to catch in his throat, feeling lightheaded as his stomach twisted in anticipation. There was little warning when his orgasm suddenly hit him, a strangled sounding cry leaving his mouth as Steve thrust inside as deep as he could, growling loudly in the omega’s ear. There were only a few more thrusts before Steve’s knot caught on Tony’s entrance, locking them together while the alpha also suddenly hit his climax. Tony was caught off guard in the middle of his own orgasm by Steve reaching his, and that moment held too much intensity for the helpless omega, his vision going black as he passed out.

It was a few minutes later when Tony came to, groaning when he shifted and felt Steve buried deep inside him. The alpha was still holding himself up above Tony, and when the omega looked up at him with wide eyes, Steve growled softly.

“Holy shit…” Tony blinked up at his alpha with a dumbfounded expression, his hair sprawled out around his head like some sort of halo.

Steve groaned at how beautiful his omega looked. He couldn’t express just how badly he wanted to bite down on that perfect skin and leave his mark on Tony. “I love you so much,” he blurted out.

“God, I love you too, Steve.” Tony smiled and laughed, the sound merry and light as it filled the room.

After waiting for Steve’s knot to deflate, the two cleaned up together and dressed in soft pajamas so they looked decent enough to join Maria and Jarvis in the parlor for unwrapping presents and eating a nice breakfast. They came down the stairs together with arms locked and smiles wide as they smelled the amazing cooking of Maria and Jarvis. Tony pulled away from Steve to greet his mother with a kiss on the cheek and a hug. He could already tell it wouldn’t be long before breakfast would be ready, and he sat on the island while he waited, Steve coming up beside him and waiting with him.

“I’m glad you could spend Christmas with us, Steve,” Maria said as she took a break from cooking to grab a cup of coffee. “I know you’ve mentioned that you don’t really have any family left, but as far as I’m concerned, you’re basically family here already.”

Steve flushed as he looked at the woman. “Thank you, I… I love being here, to be honest. I think this is the happiest I’ve been in a while, especially for Christmas. Getting to spend it with a family again is a blessing.”

“Well as long as you’re Tony’s alpha, you’re always welcome here, no matter what may be going on.” Maria smiled and patted Steve’s cheek gently. “You’re family here, and I hope you consider yourself to be family.”

“I’ll admit I’ve had a little trouble coming to terms with that, but since Tony and I have been together for over a year now, I suppose it’s time I started referring to myself as family.”

“Yes, you should,” Tony interjected, snuggling up close to the blond.

Steve chuckled. “Well I think I almost have to at this point. I don’t know why I wouldn’t call you all my family.”

The omega purred happily at that and only snuggled closer. “I can’t wait until you’re officially part of the family.”

“You feel ready for the next step now?”

Tony hesitated before he pulled back. “I don’t know… maybe, but the war is still going on, and I don’t want to risk losing you if we plan a wedding or something.”

“But you do want to get married?”

The omega flushed, looking up at his alpha. “...Yeah. Yeah, I think I do want to get married…”

Smiling wide, the alpha leaned down to nuzzle Tony. “I love you. One day, we’ll get married and live happily after the war is over and we don’t have to worry about Nazis anymore.”

“God, that’s the dream,” Tony said softly. 

When breakfast was finally done, the four moved into the parlor with plates of food and glasses filled with coffee and juice. They settled down and simply enjoyed the food and soft music playing. There was simply nothing to worry about but if the eggs needed more salt or if the coffee was still too hot to drink. It was a simple time for the four residents of the Stark manor, and there wasn’t honestly anything that could have broken the happy mood.

Once breakfast was finished, it was time for presents, and Steve for one couldn’t wait to give Tony his present. It wasn’t much in terms of what maybe the Starks could afford, but Steve thought it held a lot of meaning, so he was sure Tony was going to love it.

The first couple presents were from Maria, being small trinkets and little tinkering things that she knew Tony would love. Jarvis received gifts from Maria as well, thanking the woman for the gifts and for allowing him to live with her for yet another year. Then it was Tony’s turn to give out his presents. For his mother he got a lovely pearl necklace and matching earrings to go with it. He also got her another dress which he knew matched the pearls perfectly. Needless to say, there were a lot of smiles exchanged between mother and son. When he was done giving his gifts to all but Steve, Tony announced that he was going to wait to give Steve’s gift until the end, which Steve thought was appropriate.

The alpha then gave his few gifts to Maria and Jarvis, thanking them for being so welcoming and nice to him. He had truly felt like part of the family the past few months he had spent in the Stark manor, and it made him happier than he had been since his own mother passed away. It felt good to be a family member again.

When there were only Tony’s and Steve’s presents to each other left, Maria and Jarvis left to begin on lunch, leaving the couple to exchange gifts alone. Steve felt a bit relieved by that, and he felt more confident in giving Tony his gift.

“Here, I know it’s not much,” Steve started, handing Tony the flat, wrapped present. “But I—”

Tony held a finger up to the blond’s lips. “It’s enough for me,” he said with a smile, replacing his finger with his lips in a small kiss before he opened his present. In a very nice black frame was a drawing of himself and Steve, a copy of one of the several pictures they had taken together, but this was a drawing that Steve had taken time to make and put a lot of love into. Below the drawing was Steve’s handwriting, beautiful script letters that read “I love you Tony. -Steve”

Tony smiled as he leaned against his alpha. “I love you too,” he said quietly, then reached for another kiss. “This is amazing, Steve, thank you.”

“I’m glad you like it,” the alpha said, nuzzling Tony’s neck with a happy sigh.

“This would look good above a fireplace,” the brunet said. 

“I think I can agree on that. Maybe there’ll be some kids running around when there’s a fire blazing and we’re sitting on the sofa with some cups of coffee. Might even have a dog too.”

Tony sighed happily. “That all sounds so good, Steve… I want it all.”

“Me too, Tony…”

The two looked at each other with smiles and soft eyes before kissing gently, and then suddenly Tony pulled away and grabbed his present to Steve. “I knew what I wanted to give you before we started talking more seriously about getting married and at that stuff… But, I don’t know, maybe this will mean something more now.”

Steve gave a quizzical look before Tony handed him a small box. He took the decorative paper off of it, then he looked back at the brunet. “Tony…”

“Just open it!”

Steve did as he was told, opening the box and gazed upon the glistening black ring that was nestled inside. “Tony, this is gorgeous… where did you get it?”

“I made it, actually.” Tony took the ring out of the box and tapped a certain part of the ring twice. It lit up a brilliant blue, the same tint of blue that the arc reactor glowed. “It has the ability to sync up with my arc reactor. It’s got a similar shielding mechanism too… Because I wanted you to be safe when I’m not around to use my arc reactor to protect you.”

“You made this?” Steve looked dumbfounded as he looked over the ring. “I’m speechless, honestly.”

“And I haven’t even gotten to the best part yet.” Tony chuckled and shifted to straddle Steve’s lap, slipping the ring onto Steve’s ring finger, the same finger that a married couple would share their wedding bands on. “Talking more about being together after the war has really made me think about what I’m going to do with my life. I… I honestly didn’t want to belong to anyone for a very long time. And then you came into my life and I haven’t been the same since. Somehow when I’m around you, everything feels right, and I…” 

Tony had to pause, his vision getting blurry with tears. “I don’t want to leave your side ever,” he started again, Steve bringing the hand with the ring up to the omega’s face to wipe away the tears. “I love you too much to give up on you now. I want you now more than ever, Steve… I want to marry you and have a family with you… and I want you to become my caretaker.”

There was silence as the two gazed into each other’s eyes, a loving smile on the alpha’s lips as he pulled Tony into a tight hug. They stayed embraced for several minutes, Steve comforting Tony with soothing purrs and light kisses to the neck.

“I know you’re the one who gave me the ring,” Steve said, his voice full of emotion. “But I feel like it’s only right that I ask you this, since it seems you’re ready for it.”

Tony was already close to sobbing when Steve wrapped his arms tighter around him.

“When this war is over, and we can go on living normal lives, would you marry me, Tony Stark?”

“You big softie, of course I will,” the omega practically wailed as he threw his arms around Steve’s neck and cried happy tears.

Steve’s eyes also grew wet with tears, holding his omega close and crooning softly. “I’ll take care of you, Tony,” he said after a while. “Don’t you worry, I’ll take care of you until the day we die.”

Steve got to show off his new ring later that day to Maria and Jarvis, Tony donning a similar ring that he had claimed was a scraped design for Steve’s ring, but the scrapped one seemed to fit Tony’s finger perfectly, so Steve wasn’t going to rule out the possibility that Tony had made his own matching ring to go with his own.

The rest of the day was spent eating, listening to music in the parlor, and sharing stories from childhood. It was a relaxing day in the manor, which in turn caused a wave of sleepiness to wash over the four occupants. Steve and Tony retired to their room to clean up and to cuddle in bed until they grew too tired to keep their eyes open any longer. They admired their rings together and talked of future plans for a wedding. All the positive talk made the two forget entirely of the war and all evil that came with it. There was no need to talk of the bad, and the couple was very much okay with that. 

Long into talking of the future, Tony curled up against Steve with a smile and silently fell asleep, feeling like he was fitting into a role he never thought he’d ever want to fall into.

* * *

“Steve, you need to come down here… _ quickly _!”

If the banging on the door wasn’t enough to wake alpha and omega from their sleep, Maria’s yelling through the closed door was. Tony and Steve jolted awake and tried to process what was going on. Steve was out of the bed first, putting on a t-shirt and hurrying out the door before Tony had even a chance to take a guess at what needed Steve’s attention so badly. 

When Tony had finally gotten around and hurried down the stairs, he saw Steve standing at the front door talking to a man dressed in an army uniform. Tony’s blood froze in his veins as he picked up on bits of the conversation.

“They need you back in London right away, Captain. No exceptions.”

“They can’t wait a couple more days? It’s not even a week after Christmas yet,” Steve tried to argue, but the soldier just shook his head. 

“No…” Tony tried to rush forward, intending on giving the visitor a piece of his mind for ruining the holidays, but Maria quickly grabbed him and held him close, knowing how her son would react.

“No! He can’t leave yet,” Tony yelled, trying to escape his mother’s grip and failing to do so as Steve looked back at him with a pained expression.

“I’m afraid the captain is needed immediately. He’s scheduled to be on the next plane out,” the soldier informed them.

“I’m going with you, Steve. I won’t let you leave me behind!”

“We only have room for the captain,” the soldier once again spoke up, and Tony hated how he tried to use a commanding tone with him.

“No, fuck you! I’m going with him!”

“Tony, please.” Maria tried to calm her son as best as she could, but the omega was growing more desperate by the second, and she was struggling to hold Tony back. “You can’t go with him, you know that.”

“But I can’t be left behind again! Don’t take Steve away from me!”

The soldier at the door looked awkwardly at Steve and cleared his throat. “We really don’t have much time, Captain. We have clothes and toiletries packed for you, and the plane leaves in an hour.”

Tony’s heart continued to break as his alpha turned and walked over to him. He saw how Steve’s jaw was tense, and he immediately stopped struggling against his mother, waiting for Steve to come to him and tell him directly that he had to stay home.

When the alpha was close enough, Maria let go of her son, trying to hold back her own emotions as she watched the couple hug each other tightly. 

“I don’t want to be left behind,” Tony whimpered as he clung to Steve. 

Steve buried his face in Tony’s neck and took in a deep breath of the scent. He said nothing as he committed the scent to memory, left gentle kisses on the omega’s neck before pulling him in for a proper kiss on the lips. Silence filled the room as cool air blew in around the soldier waiting at the door. Nothing broke the heavy silence until Steve pulled back to look Tony in the eye and spoke.

“I’m sorry… I’ll come back as soon as I can.”

Tony felt his knees get weak, but he had to keep standing for Steve. He was still strong without his alpha, and he had to show it. His eyes betrayed him though, his vision going blurry as he watched Steve quickly grab socks, shoes, and a jacket and leave with the soldier. Every fiber in his being screamed at him to follow his alpha, but he physically couldn’t move, only barely managing to whisper out “Please come back,” as Steve was taken away from him once more.

As soon as the door closed again, Tony finally collapsed to the floor, eyes wide with tears streaming down his face. This wasn’t how he imagined Steve being called back to duty would happen, but here it was slapping him in the face and telling him that he couldn’t follow. It hurt him deeply, to know that his alpha was leaving to go overseas once more and fight in the war they had nearly forgotten about completely. The day was ultimately ruined, and there was nothing that could have been done to fix it.

The skies seemed to only darken as rain rolled in and poured on the disappointing day. Tony hardly came out of his room, angry and upset at the room smelling so strongly of Steve, and yet the alpha was no longer there. The scent was comforting, of course, but it would never be as good as if the alpha were physically there to keep the scent strong. The day dragged on, and Tony only became more and more upset. He didn’t come out for meals, only leaving his room for water when he felt like he needed it, never wanting it.

Looking at the night stand beside the bed, tony briefly panicked as he saw the ring he wore, and he worried that Steve had left his. Looking over at the other side of the bed, he was relieved to find the ring gone, which meant that Steve had indeed taken his ring with him.

Sighing, Tony put his ring on and tapped the top of it twice, and a few seconds later, it vibrated slightly, letting the omega know that Steve had also tapped on his ring. It was a simple way to keep in communication with each other, even if they were miles apart already.

Tony cried silently as he received a string of vibrations from his ring, thinking of how badly Steve had wanted to stay with him instead of return to London.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for this update going up late in the day, but it's here! Enjoy the angst and the unexpected surprise!

“Tony? Honey, are you alright?” Maria knocked on the door to her son’s room for the third time that day. It had been a week since Steve had left, and Tony had spent more time in his room than out of it. Maria had grown concerned for Tony, even though she knew he needed space after his alpha had left.

“I can bring some snacks if you’re hungry,” she said with a sigh.

Behind the door, she heard a bit of movement, a groan, and then suddenly the door opened. Tony was there in one of Steve’s shirts and loose pants. Despite being in oversized clothes that smelled like Steve, Tony looked far from comfortable.

“Oh, Tony… You don’t look like you feel very well.” Maria put her hand against her son’s forehead. “You don’t feel warm… Have you been eating the food I’ve brought you?”

Tony nodded, then he moved forward and hugged his mother as tight as he could. “My body hates me,” he said in a weak voice.

“How so? Does anything hurt?”

“My back hurts, and I feel like I have cramps that are constantly stabbing me.”

Maria sighed, petting Tony’s hair. “I wonder if your body is reacting to losing Steve so suddenly… Let’s keep an eye on you, and if you get worse, we’ll go to the doctor, okay?”

Tony whined, burying his face in his mother’s neck. “I want Steve back.”

“I know you do. I wish he didn’t have to leave as suddenly as he did. It’s unfair to the both of you. You didn’t really have time to prepare and say goodbye properly.”

Tony’s body shook as he started to cry, and Maria soothed him with soft shushing sounds and kisses on his head. “I know it’s hard, sweetie. We need to focus on keeping you healthy now, okay? For Steve.”

Pulling back, Tony looked at his mother with watery eyes. He took a moment to respond, but he nodded. “There… were some things I didn’t eat. They didn’t look appetizing,” Tony admitted.

“That’s okay, let’s clean up your room a bit, and then we’ll get you something you want to eat.” Maria hugged Tony again, this time with a smile, and she entered her son’s room, Tony leading her in. Most of the foods that Tony hadn’t eaten, he had thrown away, but there were some plates with food on them still that looked like they hadn’t been touched in a while.

“You hardly ate that burger I made for you… you must not be feeling well at all.” Maria sighed and picked up the plate with the burger that had maybe one or two bites taken out of it. “You haven’t been throwing anything up, have you?”

“No,” Tony mumbled. “But I haven’t eaten much to make my stomach upset.”

“I wonder why you might be cramping then.” Maria shrugged and picked up other plates and cups. “It’d be no fun if you got sick on top of not having Steve around. My poor baby…”

Soon Tony’s room was free of plates and cups that he had hoarded since his alpha left. Maria made his bed and cleaned up other parts of his room before coaxing him out for some proper food and water to help him get healthy once more. It was clear that the amount of food he had eaten since Steve had left was nowhere near his normal intake, and he had lost a bit of weight. It wasn’t much, but it certainly wasn’t healthy to lose any weight from not feeling well. Maria was greatly concerned for Tony, but if she could nurse him back to top health as quickly as he had started being unhealthy, then she was going to try her hardest to help her son.

Thankfully Tony was able to get down some real food, as opposed to snacks, and drank more water than he had in the couple days previous. It was enough to make Maria happy, and she sent Tony to bed with warm blankets and enough water to keep him hydrated. Tony was visibly not feeling well, even if it was only caused by his alpha suddenly leaving and giving his body absolutely no time at all to adjust. Each day that passed allowed the once shared bedroom to smell less and less like Steve and more like only Tony, which only left a dead scent in the omega’s nose. His room smelled like nothing, and it was the most unsettling it had ever been.

A few days passed of Maria taking care of Tony, and he seemed to get a little better. His back pain remained, but his cramping did eventually go away, much to his relief. Having being taken care of properly and cleaning up when he could put him in a better mood, especially after allowing his mother to take care of him. Trying to take care of himself like he used to had proven to be not a good idea, Maria decided. 

After the third day of being taken care of by his mother, Tony finally felt well enough to finally leave his room on his own and find some food. Maria was absolutely thrilled to discover her son in the kitchen before she was that morning. 

“You look so much better,” she had told her son, hugging him tight. “How do you feel?”

“Other than my back still hurting, I feel okay,” Tony replied, smiling at his mother. “Thanks for taking care of me… I thought I could just take care of myself like I’ve done before.”

“You’re missing your alpha suddenly, so I’m not surprised that you were too depressed to properly take care of yourself.”

Maria shook her head and brushed back some of Tony’s hair. “Looks like you need a haircut. Your hair is getting long, unless you’ve been trying to grow it out for Steve.”

Tony flushed. “He’s told me he likes my longer hair…I’m starting to like it, too.”

“Then I suppose just a trim is in order. You can have your longer hair, but there’s no need for it to look unkempt all the time.”

“It doesn’t look like that all the time! It just has the past week and a half…”

Maria smiled. “I’m just teasing you. I think your hair is looking gorgeous, Tony.”

The omega purred a little bit at the praise. Briefly he was reminded of how much he missed Steve and the way he’d praise him after every little thing he did.

“I swear you’re more omega now than you’ve ever been,” the mother said gently, placing a hand on her son’s shoulder. “But I’m very glad to see you’re getting closer to your normal self again. I was worried you were getting sick.”

“That would have sucked,” Tony agreed. 

Maria smiled and hugged her son once more. Pulling back, she had a new sparkle in her eyes. “Well now, since you’re up and about, how about we make breakfast together?”

* * *

Tony thought he had been doing well since his mother had taken care of him. He’d been drinking enough water, eating right, getting exercise when he felt extra good. He’d been doing everything right for nearly three weeks. He truly had been living the best life he could without Steve being around. Tony had felt happy and healthy, despite missing his alpha. He had blamed everything that had happened after Steve left on depression, because it was a plausible explanation. It was the only thing that made sense, in his mind, that made him feel terrible.

Everything had been going so well.

And then it wasn’t so good anymore.

Tony had been innocently heading down the stairs for dinner, looking forward to eating with his mother and Jarvis again. He was going to tell them about the new arc reactor designs he had been working on, and a whiff of what was cooking floated up the stairs. At first he had enjoyed the smell, then his stomach churned very suddenly and his vision got spotty. He gagged a little before he hurried back up the stairs, barely making it to the hallway bathroom before he suddenly threw up.

It was a long few minutes Tony spent hunched over the toilet before he felt well enough to shakily get to his feet and wipe his mouth off. He didn’t think he had ever experienced his stomach turning so quickly on him, but he brushed it off as simply a random stomach bug, so he flushed the toilet, cleaned up and left the bathroom intending to still join his mother for dinner. As soon as he walked out though, he was hit with another wave of nausea, though not as intense as previously. Suddenly food didn’t sound good at all, and he decided to just go back to his room. His vision was swimming intensely, and Tony just wanted to lay down.

It was about ten minutes later when Maria came knocking, figuring Tony had just busied himself with new designs, but through the door she heard Tony throwing up once again, and she was instantly on high alert. 

Entering the room, Maria made a beeline for the bathroom Tony had in his room, sighing when she saw him hunched over the toilet. She waited until he had a break from heaving, then she knocked on the door frame, getting on her knees next to her son. 

Tony looked up at her with watery eyes and looking almost a little scared.

“Hey, I’m sure you’re fine, honey,” Maria said softly, rubbing Tony’s back. “Just relax, and let it out if it needs to.”

Tony gagged again and turned his face back to the toilet, shaking terribly and whining between heaving. When he was finally finished, he clung to the toilet like letting go would cause him to throw up again. Of course, he didn’t when Maria coaxed him away and cleaned up his face, but his stomach was still upset.

Maria helped Tony to his bed and pulled the blankets up to his head to make him as comfortable as possible. “It’s alright, Tony,” she soothed, grabbing a bucket from underneath the sink in the bathroom for the omega to use in case he couldn’t make it to the bathroom in time. “Everyone gets sick, there’s no need to be scared.”

“But… I was fine earlier,” Tony said weakly.

“I know, but sickness can hit you suddenly. Especially if something you ate doesn’t sit well with your stomach.”

“I had normal food at lunch… it was all stuff I liked.” Tony sighed, exhausted and just wanting to sleep. 

“Maybe your stomach just didn’t like your lunch today.” Maria smoothed back some of Tony’s hair. “It happens sometimes.”

The omega whined and closed his eyes, his vision swirling far too much for him to even see straight. “I don’t feel good,” he said, though his mother already knew that.

“Rest, honey. I’ll get you some water and make some soup for when you feel like eating.”

When his mother had left, Tony let himself cry. He was tired and hurt and didn’t feel good at all. His day had made a turn so quickly that it had put him to bed early. He did not eat dinner that night, he had tossed and turned all through the night despite being exhausted from throwing up so much. No matter what he did, he just couldn’t get comfortable, and he wanted Steve more than ever. He wanted the comforting crooning his alpha provided when he was stressed out of his mind. He wanted those big arms to wrap around him and hold him until he felt better. Tony wanted a lot of things that pertained to his alpha, but he wasn’t going to get any of them so long as Steve was across the oceans fighting in the nasty war that demanded his attention.

Three in the morning came around and Tony had barely slept for a couple hours. He was wide awake when he had to hurry off to the bathroom once more. He just wanted a break from throwing up, because at that point he wasn’t throwing up bad food any more, and his throat was hurting pretty bad. Stomach acid was never fun to throw up.

After another couple hours of constantly running to the bathroom to empty his stomach or his bladder, Tony finally was able to sleep for more than a few minutes at a time, his stomach settling long enough for him to relax and just rest. He took full advantage of the sleep, not waking up again until nearly noon, the sounds of birds chirping just outside his window greeting him along with the bright sunlight. Blinking a few times, Tony tested sitting up, and he was so very relieved when his vision remained stable, as did his stomach. The only thing that felt uncomfortable was his lower back and his chest, and they were pretty sore. He figured it was from how many times he had thrown up and had forced his muscles to work pretty hard.

Yawning, he stumbled out of bed and moved at a much slower pace, over to the bathroom to empty his bladder. He then cleaned himself up with a shower and put on fresh clothes before leaving his room. His stomach growled right as he went through the door, and briefly he panicked before realizing that he was just hungry and not about to throw up again. 

Maria was in the parlor when her son walked in with a couple large sandwiches on a plate and a glass of water. She smiled but tilted her head. “Hi there. Feeling better already?”

“I’m starving,” Tony replied before taking a bite of one sandwich. “Was throwing up all night, so my stomach is pretty empty.”

“And you’re feeling well enough to eat sandwiches? I would have thought you’d want the soup I made for you.”

“I really wanted bread,” Tony argued. “My stomach isn’t upset right now anyways. I figured I can eat what I wanted.”

Maria shrugged. “Well, I suppose… Did you get enough sleep?”

“I slept a little during the night. Couldn’t fall asleep that much until like five I think. I slept pretty good after that.”

Maria nodded, seemingly satisfied with that answer. “Well, since you seem to be feeling better, think you could handle a shopping trip today? I was going to go with Jarvis to get groceries.”

“I’m pretty sure I can handle a trip to the grocery store,” Tony said with a bit of snark.

“Only if you’re sure. I would hate for us to get to the store and you get sick again.”

“I’ll be fine.” Tony sighed, feeling a little irritated, but he brushed it off. 

“Okay… We’ll probably go around four, so we have things to make dinner with.” Maria smiled. “And make sure to dress warm, okay? If you’re feeling better, I don’t want you to get worse.”

“I’ll wear my scarf even,” Tony said, grimacing and rubbing his chest. “God, throwing up took a lot out of me. My chest and back are both sore today.”

“If it’s too much, I’m sure we have pain medicine around here.”

“I don’t think it’s that bad… but I guess I won’t hurt to take something.” Tony shrugged as he finished his first sandwich. 

Maria nodded. “You finish eating then, and I’ll go get you some medicine.” She stood up, setting down the magazine she had been looking at, then ruffled Tony’s hair as she walked past him.

The pain medicine had helped keep Tony’s soreness at bay, but he wasn’t saved from his stomach suddenly getting upset again right before he was ready to leave the house to go shopping. Once again he was forced to stay in bed and try not to throw up just from watching the room spin. He was, to put it simply, baffled that now two days in a row had ended the same; throwing up and laying in bed trying to sleep but failing. Maria had told him to wait on eating solid foods again until he was completely better, which he hadn’t liked, but it was the only way he was going to get better.

The next day ended similarly, though Tony didn’t throw up any on the third day. He simply just felt nauseous, but finally on the fourth day he got a well needed break. Tony felt nearly back to normal, not feeling nauseous at all or feeling much pain. He was happy for all of two days before he was suddenly thrust back into what felt like scheduled discomfort and nausea. 

“Can’t seem to catch a fucking break,” he hissed to himself, trying to move to the bathroom once again before he could throw up all over the carpet in his bedroom. It had been almost a week of intense nausea and an almost overwhelming want to eat. He might have eaten more than normal on the few days he had actually felt good, but he didn’t think it was enough to really affect anything. He was still being healthy, despite constantly getting sick for a week. Tony was getting really irritated and fed up with it, and he had accidentally snapped at his mother when he started feeling nauseous again. He had even tried to eat a cheeseburger, but he had promptly thrown up moments after swallowing a couple bites of it. He didn’t like cheese from that day on, gagging almost every time he caught a whiff of it. 

Finishing up in the bathroom, Tony groaned. Looking at himself in the mirror, he shook his head. “Why aren’t you fucking getting better,” he muttered. “Are you trying to kill me, body?”

Tony shuffled back over to his bed. If his stomach wasn’t upset, he’d have flopped right onto the bed and screamed as loud as he could. He just wanted his nightmare to end, and he liked to think he could just blame it all on Steve being gone, so his body was just out of wack without him around. But… being sick like he was didn’t exactly add up with Steve being gone.

Groaning, Tony sat on the edge of his bed and tried to stop the dizziness he was experiencing. If the world would just stop spinning, he’d have time to stop and think for a bit. Think about why he was having all those symptoms and what they could mean.

He gave up on thinking and just laid back on his bed. Everything hurt. Everything was spinning. Tony could have sworn he was dying or something. Maybe… maybe he had one of those viruses that was flying around. He didn’t want to think that that was the issue, but he had to consider the possibilities. Besides, he was sure his mother wasn’t thinking he had some stomach bug any more. Not after a week of not feeling good. Stomach bugs didn’t ever seem to be as extreme as Tony was going through, even with taking medicine and eating well. 

As the day dragged on, Tony only started to feel worse. He was hot, but every time he checked his temperature, he never had a fever of any kind. His chest was tender every time he went to touch it, he was almost constantly dizzy and nauseous, and he kept getting more upset and irritated the longer he wasn’t well. Another trip to the bathroom left him in tears and screaming profanities as loud as he could.

Tony was absolutely sick of everything! Why couldn’t all his symptoms just magically go away? He’d be a lot happier if he was healthy again and could await his alpha’s return in peace without having to run the bathroom what felt like every ten minutes.

There was a knock on Tony’s bedroom door, and all he could manage to do in response was make a pitiful noise as he curled up on his side and waited for whoever was on the other side of the door to just go away or stop wasting time and enter. His mood instantly changed when he realized it was his mother who had stepped into his room, and he immediately burst into tears.

“Mom, I don’t wanna be sick anymore,” he wailed through his tears.

Maria’s heart broke as he watched her son cry in pain and anguish and frustration. She knelt next to his bed and reached over to wipe away his constant stream of tears. “I think it’s time we go to the hospital… It’s clear you’re not just sick.”

“I wanna be normal again…”

“You will, sweetie, I promise you will…” 

Truth be told, Maria wasn’t sure if her son would be normal again. She was worried he had caught a serious disease that was incurable. She hoped that wasn’t the case, but it was hard to tell with how bad a shape Tony was in.

“Get ready as best as you can, and we’ll see if we can get you in to see a doctor today. I’ll call ahead, just to be sure.” Maria stood back up and wiped away more tears.

Tony whined. “I don’t think I can move without getting sick…”

“Okay, I’ll see if our doctor can do a house call then.” The woman smiled comfortingly at her son. “I’ll be right back after I make the call, okay?”

Tony nodded and closed his eyes, whining as she left. It felt like an eternity before she returned, water and soup in hand, because that was all she could do until she knew what exactly was wrong with her son.

Long after Maria settled in Tony’s room to take care of him, there came a soft knock, Jarvis’s head popping in. “The doctor is here. Shall I let them in?”

“Yes, please,” Maria said, standing up as the doctor walked in.

There was a kind smile on the doctor’s face as he pulled up a chair and sat next to the bed. “So, I heard we’ve got a sick omega. What kind of symptoms are we having?”

Tony groaned while hiding his face, knowing he looked disgusting.

“He’s been nauseous and been throwing up quite a bit,” Maria said. “Those are the main symptoms that I have noticed, other than those lasting for a good week or so.”

“Any sort of pain or blood with the vomiting?”

Tony shook his head. “No blood, but back and chest pain… been dizzy and really hungry but I can’t eat much.” He covered his mouth quickly and whined as he rushed off to the bathroom again.

The doctor watched him go, humming in thought. “Vomiting, dizzy, pain, and extremely hungry. How long has the pain lasted?”

“Only this week he’s been sick,” Maria responded, but a noise of opposition came from the bathroom. “Is that not right, Tony?”

A few seconds passed before Tony showed his face again, eyes watery. “It’s been… almost a month…”

“Tony,” Maria gasped. “Honey, why didn’t you mention that before?”

“I thought it was just my body reacting to my alpha leaving me!” Tony’s voice rose before his watery eyes leaking their tears down his face.

The doctor raised an eyebrow. “You know… from all that I’ve seen here, I can almost guarantee I know what Tony has.”

“You know already?” Maria asked.

“I’m surprised you don’t know at this point,” he responded. “Though I suppose since he’s an omega and you’re a beta, there would be a few differences… Tony, when was your last heat?”

The omega flushed. “Two months ago…”

That was when Maria’s eyes widened, and her mouth formed an “Oh”.

“Was your alpha with you during that heat?” the doctor asked.

“Yeah, he came home from the war in August, and we spent my August and December heats together. I don’t see how this is important to my being sick.” Tony groaned and grabbed his head, carefully making his way back to the bed.

“Tony’s alpha was in rut in December,” Maria said, sighing in what almost sounded like relief as she rubbed her face.

“I see, so unless he takes a test and it comes back negative, my suspicion was correct.”

Tony lowered his eyebrows. “What suspicion? Am I dying or what?”

Maria suddenly laughed. “Oh, Tony, you’re far from dying, sweetie. Though I have to say I thought Steve would have been more responsible.”

“Responsible for what?!”

“Tony,” the doctor said in a gentle tone. “We’d have to take you in for a test to be one-hundred percent sure, but I’m pretty positive that you’re around two months pregnant.”

Time seemed to stop around Tony as the doctor spoke that word.

Pregnant.

It didn’t process in his mind. There was no way he could be pregnant. He was sure he and Steve had used protection during his last heat, but the more he tried to remember the less he was actually remembering, and his face went white, his hands trembling.

“W-what?” He looked at his mother with wide eyes. “I…”

“Tony, it’s okay,” Maria soothed, grabbing his hands to still them. “I should have suspected, because you have a lot of the symptoms I had when I was pregnant with you.”

“I… I can’t… I’m pregnant?”

“It sure seems like it, sweetie… Are you okay?”

Silence filled the room, Tony looking down at his bed in contemplation and bewilderment. Maria was about to speak up again when Tony’s eyes widened and he took in a deep breath.

“Holy _ shit _!”

“Tony,” Maria said in an exasperated tone. “I know this is surprising, but really, I don’t think you need to say things like that.”

“Mom, did you not just hear the doctor?! I’m pregnant! How the hell am I supposed to handle being pregnant without Steve around?!” Tony, shuffled off his bed and clutched the shirt he was wearing. It was one of Steve’s but it no longer smelled like the alpha.

“Yes, I heard him, and you’ll do just fine without him until he gets back. You know I’m here for you, and so is Jarvis. We’ll both take care of you, Tony.” 

A whine escaped Tony’s lips as he looked with wide eyes at his mother. The fear in his eyes was hard to miss. “I can’t… No, I need him here, I need to be with him!”

“Tony, take it easy, stress isn’t healthy for you,” the doctor said, trying his best to comfort the distressed omega. “We’ll take care of everything, okay? All the tests and checkups will go as smoothly as possible, and we’ll get you some vitamins to help stabilize your hormones and strengthen you up a bit more.”

“I don’t know what to do… I don’t know how to take care of a baby! Holy shit, Dad is going to kill me…” 

“Your father won’t know about any of this until he gets back,” Maria reassured. “You have my word. Steve on the other hand should know as soon as possible. I recommend writing him, or even calling him if you can.”

“We should set up a checkup appointment first,” the doctor said. “Just to look over things and make sure the baby is healthy and on a good growing rate.”

Feeling a little more calm, Tony nodded slowly. “I want Steve to know as soon as possible.”

“He’ll be the first one you tell,” Maria said. “When’s the soonest we can get Tony in for a checkup?” she asked the doctor.

“I believe there’s an opening a couple days from now. I can look at the schedule in the omega clinic back at the hospital and call to give you a time.”

“That would be wonderful. The sooner the better for both Tony and the baby,” Maria said, moving over to her son and giving him a hug to calm him even more.

The doctor nodded and stood up. “I’ll go do that right away then. I’ll give you a call when I have a date. Does any time of day work?”

“Yes, Tony and I stay here all day anyways, so we’ll be free any time you have.”

“Alright, then I’ll hear from you in an hour or so.” The doctor bowed his head slightly before he left the room and left mother and son alone once more.

Tony looked up at Maria with his wide brown eyes, looking every bit the young boy he used to be when he first presented as an omega. “Mom… I’m scared.”

“I know, sweetie, but I’m right here for you, and you’ll have me as long as I’m still breathing. You’ll get through this, okay?” She smiled and kissed Tony’s forehead, wiping away the tears that started falling again. “I love you so much, Tony.”

“I love you too, Mom...You’ll be with me through the whole pregnancy?”

“Of course I will. I won’t leave you alone to deal with this, you know that.”

Tony took in a shaking breath and hid his face in his mother’s neck. “I’m pregnant… I can’t believe it.”

* * *

January 30th was the day that Tony went to the omega clinic to get his checkup. He had to say he felt a bit awkward, seeing several frail omegas who were in various states of pregnancy. They all looked like Tony would win against them in a fight, which he hated to compare himself to them, but he was the only omega there that was as fit and built in muscle as he was. He wondered if any of the omegas thought he was a beta.

When his name was called, Tony suddenly got a flood of nerves rush through him, making the other omegas in the room react at the change in his scent. He was amazed, actually amazed, at the positive support he received back. There wasn’t a single omega in that waiting room that reacted negatively to his nerves. They all understood what he was going through, to a point, and they knew he was nervous. Tony nearly cried when the room filled with a sweet, supportive scent as he walked to the back with his mother.

In terms of what all the checkup included, Tony was physically examined and had a bunch of tests done, including one to make sure he was indeed pregnant, which he was, so the rest of the checkup proceeded. He was given prenatal vitamins and a rough estimate for a due date, which September felt like a long time away, but Tony suspected that the time would fly when he got to be with Steve again. The checkup in general was easy to go through and was hardly anxiety inducing. Tony was glad for that, but all he wanted to do was go back home and have a cheeseburger, even though he knew he’d get sick if he ate one.

Tony’s next appointment was set up for a month later, and he had to admit he was looking forward to it a little. He had spent most of the previous day trying to come to terms with actually being pregnant and what that meant for him. Mostly he dwelled on the fact that Steve’s child was growing inside of him, and that little fact kept him sane and a little bit happy.

Tony kept reminding himself that the baby inside him belonged to Steve as he and his mother drove back home. It was honestly the only thought keeping him grounded and preventing him from flying off the handle and going into an anxiety induced panic. The calmer and happier he was, the better for both his own and his baby’s health, according to the doctors. He wanted to stay healthy, at least for the baby, and Maria was going to make sure he didn’t do or eat anything wasn’t healthy, he was sure of it. Still, he appreciated that she was going to take care of him. The whole pregnancy news came as quite a shock to him. 

Returning back to the manor finally made Tony sigh in relief. He was ready to get back into his room and cover himself in his own scent again, and he felt the slightest urge to start building up a nest. Tony had no idea what was going to happen when it came time for him to birth his baby, but whatever happened, he hoped Steve would be there to comfort him and to see their baby for the first time. 

Tony smiled, thinking of how Steve might react to holding the baby. Maybe he would cry. The omega thought that might be nice to see his alpha’s softer side, reduced to an emotional mess merely at the sight of his own baby. Damn, Tony was going to cry that day as well. He might’ve started crying if he had more time to think of that day, but his thoughts were interrupted by the car parking and Jarvis waiting to take the car into their garage.

“How did the checkup go?” the butler asked as he took the keys from Maria.

“As good as it could have gone,” the woman replied. “The doctors did warn Tony to try not to be so stressed, but other than that, the baby is healthy and growing at a good rate.”

“That’s good to hear, Ma’am. And how are you feeling, Tony?”

“Very hungry,” the omega responded. “And like this is all feels like a real thing now. I’m still scared, honestly…”

“There’s absolutely nothing for you to be scared about, honey,” Maria said, pulling Tony closer to kiss his temple. “I went through most of what you’re going through, so if you have any questions, you just need to ask.”

Tony nodded. “No question off limits, right?”

“Right.”

“I finished the laundry while you two were out,” Jarvis said as he slipped into the car. “You should find your beds freshly made, and there are extra sheets and blankets on your bed, Tony.”

“Thanks, J,” the omega said with a smile. 

“If you require anything else, just let me know.” Jarvis closed the door to the car and took it into the garage while Tony and Maria went into the manor.

Tony caught just the smallest hint of Steve’s scent as he walked in, and briefly he thought that the alpha might be home already, but the scent was dead and fading, and Tony sighed sadly. He hoped that soon he would be able to be with Steve again soon.

The rest of the day was spent relaxing and finding out what foods Tony could tolerate eating or what foods he was having cravings for. They knew for sure that cheese was out of the question for any foods, and there were a few others that Tony gagged at and nearly had to run to the bathroom after smelling. His cravings weren’t very bad yet, much to Maria’s relief, and she hoped that her son’s cravings didn’t get worse. Nevertheless, Tony was starving, and he managed to grab enough food to satisfy his hunger in the moment.

The next day played out similarly, Tony spending much time with his mother in the parlor, talking about pregnancy and what to expect. Maria didn’t have all the answers, especially for the questions that more had to do with being an omega, but she gave the best answers she could, telling Tony to keep those questions in mind to ask the doctor at his next checkup. By the time Tony had run out of questions, he had been much more informed about pregnancy than he had been expecting. He was glad to have someone close to him that knew what he was going through and would tolerate him when his mood suddenly shifted. 

Later that day, Tony started writing a letter to Steve, telling him how he was and telling him about the whole fiasco of thinking what was actually pregnancy was rather than illness. Tony mentioned how glad he was that he wasn’t ill, but he was instead irritated at how often he had to run to the bathroom. 

Tony couldn’t count how many times he had to pause his writing just to go to the bathroom, both for using the toilet for its intended purpose and also for scares when Tony thought he might throw up again. 

The doctors had told Tony that he had already lost too much weight from vomiting so often, but it wasn’t like he could control that. He knew he needed to bulk up for the baby, and he was having trouble doing so when there were only so many healthy foods that he could tolerate eating. Still, Tony wasn’t going to let himself lose the baby if he had any say in it.

February first was a day that Tony hoped he didn’t have to see come so soon. It began like any other day; waking up, going to the bathroom, foraging for breakfast while deciding what to wear for the day. Tony was in the middle of his breakfast when the main phone line rang in the manor. He thought nothing of it until Jarvis came into the kitchen where Tony was eating.

“Tony, the phone is for you…”

The omega looked up mid bite, eyes wide. He lowered his spoon into the bowl of cereal he had been eating and got up. “Who is it? Why do you look so down?”

The butler shook his head as they headed to the parlor, and he exchanged looks with Maria once they entered the room, the woman looking just as devastated as Jarvis did.

Tony felt like something wasn’t right, but he picked up the phone and sat down next to it, feeling a sense of dread rising as both Jarvis and Maria put hands on his shoulders. He swallowed and spoke. “Hello?”

“Tony… it’s Peggy,” came the voice on the other end of the phone.

“Peggy!” Tony smiled, hearing his friend after many months. “It’s so good to hear your voice again. How are you?”

“Well… it’s hard to say right now. I’ve got some bad news…”

Tony’s heart dropped to his stomach. “Don’t tell me it’s about Steve. Steve’s okay, right?”

“No, he’s not okay. I mean he’s alive, but he’s not doing well.”

There was a long pause, neither Peggy nor Tony knowing what exactly to say. Peggy was the one to break the silence after several seconds. 

“Tony, it’s about Bucky… he… he’s dead…”

The omega’s mouth dropped open, eyebrows shooting up in a devastated expression. There was another pause, this one filled with emotional pain so unbelievable that Tony couldn’t help but let tears slide down his face.

“I’m so sorry, Tony,” Peggy’s broken voice spoke. “Steve tried so hard to save him… He just slipped out of his reach…”

There was no physical way Tony could have formed any words to speak, he squeezed his eyes shut as tight as he could and cried silently. His pain was so great that he was speechless. The loss of his friend broke him. Sure Tony had lost grandparents and other family members over the years, but he had never known them as well as he had known Bucky. Bucky had been his best friend, and Steve’s long before Tony ever came into the picture.

“Steve needs you here, Tony,” Peggy said after staying respectfully silent. “The military base you met Steve at when he landed in California will be where you need to go. Your plane leaves as soon as you get there. Tony… we really need you to come as soon as you can.”

Tony tried to speak, but it broke with a sob. He tried again once he had some sort of control over his crying. “I… I’ll pack up and try to leave today…”

“It’ll be a long flight. Pack comfortably, and hopefully you’ll get some sleep.” Peggy sighed. “We’ll expect to see you soon, Tony. Safe travels.”

Peggy hung up, leaving Tony in silence with Jarvis and Maria’s hands still on his shoulders. When Peggy could no longer hear him, he wailed and sobbed, mourning the loss of his friend that he hadn’t seen since August, and now he wouldn’t ever see Bucky again. The pain of knowing that Bucky was lost forever weighed heavily on the omega, his hormones already a mess from being pregnant. 

“They can’t really want Tony to fly all the way to London,” Maria said to Jarivs after Tony’s sobbing had faded to silent crying. “That’s so far for him to fly on his own.”

“He did make the trip from London to here on his own,” Jarvis argued.

“Yes, but he’s pregnant now! Flying could upset him.”

“It sounded like they really needed Tony to be there for the captain.”

Tony stood up, head down as he stared at the floor, his tears still blurring his vision. Maria and Jarvis went silent as they watched him stand there, then turn to them with a vulnerable expression. “Steve needs me… and I need him. I need to go.”

“Tony—”

Jarvis put a hand on Maria’s shoulder before she had a chance to say anything more. “He won’t be happy if he stays here while his alpha suffers,” he stated. “And who knows what will happen to the captain? If Tony is there to help him grieve, then it’s best that Tony goes.”

Maria and Tony stared at each other for a long time, reading each other’s expressions and trying to convince the other of what to do. Eventually, the mother sighed and pulled her son into a hug. “You’re right. Steve needs you… Go to him, and please be safe.”

“I will, Mom,” Tony said with a shaking voice. “I love you… thank you.”

Pulling away from his mother, Tony wiped his eyes and looked over at Jarvis. “Help me get packed, and then take me to the military base. My alpha needs me.”


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the longest chapter in this fic, and there's not a lot of fluff in it lmao. We're only getting started with the angst here!

When Tony arrived in London, the skies were dark and gloomy, not a single star in sight as the plane landed. Tony couldn’t count how many times he had cried on the flight, but he could count how many hours he got to sleep on one hand. He had been so devastated to hear about Bucky, but couldn't have been as bad as how Steve felt. Steve had lost his best friend that he had been around since they were kids. They grew up together, went through Bucky presenting as an alpha together and watching Steve stay neutral. Bucky and Steve had been through so much more together.

Peggy was waiting for Tony when he got off the plane and all his things were unloaded. He hugged her so tight when he saw her again, another round of crying shaking his body as he hugged Peggy. She did her best to soothe him, but she knew Steve was better at soothing, even if he was not in a good mental state.

“Let’s take your things to Steve’s apartment,” Peggy said once she pulled back and brushed back some of Tony’s longer hair. “Then we need to go find him. He’s been hiding from everyone since he got back from Austria…”

Tony nodded as he wiped his nose on his coat. “Have you seen him at all?”

“Hardly. He told me what happened… and then he just disappeared. He won’t stay in his apartment for long, so we had hoped that having you here would help him cope better.”

The omega sighed. “Let’s hurry then… I don’t want him to do something stupid.”

The two friends headed out once Tony’s things were packed into a taxi. Usually Tony would have delighted in watching the buildings of London pass by, but this trip, he just kept his head down, eyes trained on the floor. Several thoughts rushed through his mind as he rode in the car, and there were things he wanted to say, but he figured Peggy could wait to hear them. The news of him being pregnant could wait until the initial mourning of Bucky was over.

Steve’s apartment was cold and quiet. It felt lifeless at Tony helped bring his things in, and he wanted to cry again. He had already cried so much, but there was a lot that had happened all at once, and his poor hormones were suffering. At least there was something he could do to help liven up the room. He unpacked the framed drawing that Steve had given him for Christmas and leaned it up against the wall on top of a bookshelf. It brought back a little warmth into the apartment, but it would never be enough to make up the coldness that Bucky’s absence would leave in both Steve and Tony’s hearts.

Tony sighed as he looked at the drawing. The ache in his heart was the most intense he had felt in a long time. He wondered if he and Steve would ever recover from losing Bucky.

“Are you ready?” Peggy asked, coming up behind Tony and putting a hand on his shoulder.

“Yeah… Let’s go find Steve.”

Searching for the alpha proved to be difficult. Wherever Steve was, he didn’t want to be found. They searched in the bar that held good memories with the Howling Commandos and other friends, they searched in shops and other bars, they searched almost anywhere they could think of. The last place they looked was in destroyed homes, torn down from attacks and fires caused by the war. Tony searched one part of the street while Peggy searched another. Their places of finding Steve were narrowing down, and Tony was steadily getting more and more upset. He even tried calling out for Steve, but he never got a response. Even attempting to tap on his ring and get a response proved to be useless. Steve wanted to be alone, or at least Tony was sure Steve _ thought _ he wanted to be alone. Once the two saw each other, it would probably be a different story.

Peggy and Tony met up again when they couldn’t find Steve. She sighed and hugged herself. “This is turning out to be harder than I thought,” she said, stepping closer to Tony. “I’m assuming no luck on your end.”

Tony shook his head. “Nothing. He’s not even responding to my ring. When I tap it, it sends a little vibration to a matching ring Steve has,” he explained when Peggy looked confused. “I made them…”

“You made them?” Peggy smiled. “Amazing… You really deserve to just be let loose, you know.”

“Yeah…” Tony rubbed his arm, attempting to smile and failing to do so. “I’m worried he’s doing something that will get him killed…”

“I’m worried about that too… but we can’t give up on him. Come on, there’s a building over there that we haven’t checked yet,” Peggy said, pointing across the street. 

Peggy was the first one to enter the building, searching one way while Tony went another. She stepped over fallen beams and burned furniture that might have caused her to fall if she didn’t watch where she was going. There was a light breeze blowing as a man over a loudspeaker gave out announcements to the citizens of London. She paid them no attention as she paused to look around. She was about to turn back to find Tony when she heard the slightest sound of glasses clinking together. She followed the sound, and to her relief, she found Steve. She sighed as she watched him turn to look at her.

Steve looked back at the bottle he was pouring alcohol out of, wiping his face to look not so much like a hot mess. He grabbed the bottle and started pouring himself another glass. 

“Dr. Erskine said that the serum wouldn’t just affect my muscles, it would affect my cells,” he started, his voice shaking. “Create a… protective system of regeneration and healing, which means, um… I can’t get drunk.” 

Steve looked up at Peggy. “Did you know that?”

Grabbing a chair with a sigh, the woman responded. “Your metabolism burns four times faster than the average person. He thought it could be one of the side effects.”

There was a silence that filled the broken building, just the sounds of the wind and faint creaking as Tony walked around on the other side of the ruins. Steve didn’t seem to notice anything but the wind, looking down at the table when Peggy spoke again.

“It wasn’t your fault.”

“Did you read the report?” Steve asked, pain in his voice.

“Yes.”

“Then you know that’s not true.”

“You did everything you could, Steve.” Peggy sighed and shifted the chair closer that she had sat down in. “Did you believe in Bucky? Did you respect him?”

Steve looked up at Peggy, his eyes glittering with fresh tears. 

“Then stop blaming yourself,” the woman said gently. “Allow Bucky the dignity of his choice. He damn well must have thought you were worth it.”

Another long pause, Steve not wanting to talk, just to drink and wish he could get drunk on whatever bottle of stuff he had grabbed.

“There’s someone here with me who needs to talk to you,” Peggy said, breaking the silence. 

“I don’t want to talk to anyone, Peggy,” Steve responded, shifting forward to hold his head in his hands.

“I’m sure you’ll at least want to hold him.” Looking over her shoulder, Peggy saw the shadow of Tony’s figure cast across the door frame to the room she and Steve were in. She cleared her throat and smiled when the omega came into view.

Steve peeked up at Peggy, then followed her line of sight over to where Tony was standing, eyes wide and arms wrapped around himself to keep warm. The alpha instantly picked up his head, new tears running down his face. “Tony…”

“Steve…”

The two were hurrying to each other in the blink of an eye, Steve getting up so quickly the chair he had been sitting in tipped backwards. In seconds, Tony was in his arms and crying out loud, overwhelmed with emotions. Steve couldn’t help but bury his face in the omega’s neck, taking in his scent that was comforting in his time of need. Together the couple cried, mourning over Bucky and simply enjoying being back in each other’s presence. 

“I didn’t know you were coming over here,” Steve whispered to his omega, holding Tony as close as possible.

Tony wrapped his arms around Steve’s neck and kissed his cheek. “Peggy called and told me what happened… I… I couldn’t let you be alone.”

“God, Tony…” Steve’s body shook as he cried silently into Tony’s shoulder. 

It was a while before anyone in the room could speak again. Tony and Steve clung to each other, crying, and Peggy stood a respectful distance from them, staying silent to let the two mourn. This time, it wasn’t her who broke the silence. It was Steve, looking up with fire in his eyes and low growl coming from his chest.

“I’m going after Schmidt. I’m not going to stop until all of Hydra is dead or captured.” Steve pulled Tony closer as he spoke, acting protectively of him.

“You won’t be alone,” Peggy said, watching the couple’s attitude turn from mourning to anger.

Steve and Tony were going to avenge the death of their friend, and they weren’t going to stop until, like Steve had said, all of Hydra was defeated.

* * *

A meeting was called the next day to discuss plans with the Howling Commandos, Howard, and Colonel Phillips. New information was coming in left and right, and it wasn’t good information. From what Tony had heard so far, the whole world was in danger, and he was willing to help fight to keep it safe from the leader of Hydra himself. As he listened in on the meeting, Tony stood right behind the chair Steve was sitting in.

“Johann Schmidt belongs in a bug house. He thinks he’s a god and he’s willing to blow up half the world to prove it, starting with the USA.” Colonel Phillips pointed to a map of the world, pointing around the New York City area. 

“Schmidt’s working with powers beyond our capabilities,” Howard said as he walked up to the table everyone gathered around. He glanced at Tony briefly before sitting down. “He gets across the Atlantic, he will wipe out the entire eastern seaboard in an hour.”

Steve looked over pages of information, rage running through his veins as he sat there. He was angry, pissed off, enraged beyond belief. Johann Schmidt had taken things too far, and he had to be stopped, or the world would turn slave to the power-hungry man’s desires and plans. A small growl got past Steve’s lips as he read over the information, Tony putting a hand on the alpha’s shoulder.

“How much time do we got?” one of the Howling Commandos asked.

“According to my new best friend, under 24 hours,” Phillips said.

Both Steve and Tony looked up at the colonel, eyes wide. It was such a short amount of time to get things done, it almost seemed impossible.

“Where is he now?” another commando asked.

Phillips picked up a photo and pointed at it. “Hydra’s last base is here, in the Alps, 500 feet below the surface.” He tossed the photo back onto the table, where a commando grabbed it and looked at it.

“So what are we supposed to do?” the commando asked. “I mean it’s not like we can just knock on the front door.”

“Why not?”

Everyone in the room turned to Steve, looking at him like he was crazy for suggesting the plan. Even Tony was a bit surprised that Steve wanted to go in guns blazing, but he put his hands on Steve’s shoulders instead, looking at him expectantly.

Steve looked up from the papers, and if his eyes could have changed color with his anger, they would have. “That’s exactly what we’re going to do.”

“Then we better get ready,” Tony said to everyone else. “We don’t have time to lose.”

The commandos were the first to agree, nodding and standing up to hurry out and suit up, prepare for the most important battle of their lives. Anyone else who wasn’t Peggy, Phillips, or Howard, left to also prepare, loud chattering filling the room as Steve stood up and looked down at Tony. 

“Are you coming with us?”

“No he’s not,” Howard snapped, standing up and striding over to his son. “Tony, you’ve got to be crazy going out there and fighting. You’re an omega, you can get hurt, or killed.”

“That’s the sacrifice of war though, isn’t it? You give up your life for fighting what you believe in,” Tony responded, standing up to his father with a serious expression. “You can’t make me stay here anymore, Dad. I’m a soldier in this war as much as any of the other Howling Commandos are.”

“He’s got every reason to fight, Mr. Stark,” Peggy stepped in. “From what I’ve heard, he’s capable of fighting just as well as the others.”

“Don’t you get involved in this Peggy,” Howard snapped. “This is a family matter.”

“If this is a family matter, then it concerns me,” Steve said. “Tony wants to fight, so let him. He’s not a child anymore. He can make his own decisions, omega or not.”

“I do want to fight, and I’m going to,” Tony said, a hint of a growl underneath his voice. “I’m doing my duty to America. How can you tell me no after knowing what I’m fighting for?”

“Because you’re an omega, Tony! For christ’s sake, you have less of a chance of survival than all the alphas!” Howard shook his head. “I worry about you, Tony, whether you see it or not. I don’t want you to get killed out there! I don’t want to have to tell your mother that I let you get yourself killed out on the battlefield!”

Tony scoffed and brushed past his father. “I’m going to put my uniform on… If I die, tell my mom that I love her, and that I’m sorry for the decision I made rather than staying home where we were safe.”

“Tony, you come back here right now!” Howard started following his son, but he was abruptly stopped by Steve, who actually _ growled _ at him in warning. “This is absolute bullshit, you know? Omegas aren’t built to fight in wars!”

“You need to take a second look at your son before you decide that he’s too frail to fight,” Peggy said as she glanced at Tony before he disappeared behind a wall. “He’s been working out more since the last time I saw him. He’s aching to fight, and it shows. Tony may be your son, and he may be an omega, but he’s a fighter as well. It’s a shame you can’t actually see that because you’re too blinded by the old ways of your generation.”

“I’m all for omega rights, Ms. Carter,” Howard spat. “But you don’t understand what it’s like to watch your own son decide he’s fit for battle when he’s an omega.”

“I don’t have to know to support Tony’s decision.You’re the one who needs to think about what you actually support, because saying you support omega rights and then telling your son to stay home is really contradictory.” Peggy huffed.

“Do I have to keep reminding you that Tony is my son?! I’m not being contradictory, I just want my son to be safe, just like any other parent of any other soldier would say.”

“Then make it look like you’re just worried,” Steve said, glaring down at Howard. “Don’t restrict Tony from doing what he wants when he’s a full grown adult omega and you claim you support omega rights.”

“Fine! He can do whatever the hell he wants! Just don’t come crying to me and blaming his death on me.” Howard angrily turned away from Steve and Peggy, knowing he was losing the argument that was apparently already pitted against him. “He can have his freedom. I don’t care what happens to him at this point…”

Somewhere deep in the pit of Steve’s being, he hurt for Tony, hearing those last words from Howard. No parent should ever be so cruel to speak those words, but Howard was either fed up with the rebellion against him or the war was getting to him. Either way, there was no excuse. Howards words had been spoken, and Steve was thankful Tony hadn’t been around to hear them. They would have hurt the omega too much to actually fight like he wanted to.

“Come on,” Peggy urged. “Tony will want to be with you before you leave.”

Nodding, the blond alpha headed back to the lockers, where the Howling Commandos and Tony were suiting up and preparing weapons. Tony had been given a sort of privacy screen to keep the other alphas out but to also make him feel safe enough to dress in the same room as a bunch of alphas that weren’t his.

When Steve entered the area, Tony caught his scent almost immediately, and he glanced over the top of the screen that had been set up to glimpse at his alpha before returning to putting on his uniform. He hadn’t expected for Steve to suddenly be right next to the screen, tapping the top of it to get his attention, the familiar red, white, and blue uniform in the alpha’s hands.

“Mind if I join you?” Steve asked.

Tony shook his head, keeping his eyes trained on the floor as he picked up the pants he was going to wear. In his head, he was glad he already had his shirt with the high collar on that muted his scent and hid his stomach, even though he knew he wasn’t even close to having a baby bump yet.

Slipping behind the screen, Steve set his uniform on the bench next to Tony’s civilian clothes before pulling the omega into a gentle kiss. It wasn’t hidden very well, because Tony may have been just short of the screen, but Steve practically towered over it. Regardless, Tony pressed closer to his alpha with a sigh, closing his eyes while he kissed Steve. He could feel the alpha shake just slightly, a hint of sadness filling Steve’s scent, no doubt as the alpha thought of Bucky.

“Won’t be the same without him,” Tony said when they finally pulled away from each other, tears threatening to form in the corners of his eyes.

“It’ll never be the same…” Steve sighed as he stripped down to just his underwear, grabbing the pants of his uniform.

“We have to avenge him, Steve, we have to…"

“But it was my fault. How can we avenge him if I was the reason he didn’t make it?”

“No… no, no, don’t think like that, Steve…” Tony looked up at the blond and cupped his face. “It wasn’t your fault. You did all you could to save him, it’s not your fault.”

It pained Tony to see his alpha in such distress. Though his stomach churned with a mix of anxiousness and morning sickness, he wanted to be the strong rock that Steve could depend on in rough times, in times where it seemed too hard to keep on living, times where the whole world came crashing down in mere minutes. Tony hated seeing Steve this way, but he had to stay strong for his alpha.

“He wouldn’t blame you, Steve.”

The alpha took a shaking breath in, letting it out slowly. “You and Peggy hang out too much, I think. You sounded just like her.”

Tony managed to crack a small smile, pulling his alpha’s head down to kiss his forehead. “I love you so much, Steve. I can’t wait for us to get married and have a family. I want us to be happy.”

“I am happy with you,” Steve said softly. “I want to marry you as soon as possible.”

“As soon as the war is over, I promise we’ll get married, my love.”

It was Steve’s turn to smile, and what a smile it was. Bright and happy, despite his entire world breaking before his eyes. That smile made Tony feel a lot better, and he felt even better when Steve stepped closer and settled his big hands on Tony’s hips, rubbing small circles into the soft skin beneath the shirt Tony wore. The little skin contact made Tony shiver, though he didn’t quite know what kind of shiver it was.

By the time the two were fully dressed, save for Tony’s arc reactor, which was in his hands wrapped up around its straps, the Howling Commandos were standing at the ready, waiting to be led by Steve into what was probably the most important battle of their lives. This battle demanded the attention of not just the commandos, but of the men under Colonel Phillips’s command. The headquarters of Hydra was a far more ambitious take down than any of the other Hyda bases. This was going to require all the wits and brawn they could come up with, and even then, it wasn’t going to be easy just to take down Johann Schmidt. 

One last meeting was held just before the troops shipped out to the Alps, going over the small details of the mission, who would go where and do what, and also Steve mentioning that he planned to let himself get captured to get inside the base, allowing the commandos to come barging in, and then the rest of the troops would storm the base and attack. It all sounded well and good, but it didn’t help settle the bit of anxiousness left floating around Tony’s stomach. He had to excuse himself from the meeting once to go throw up, which of course raised a bit of suspicion, but Tony played it off as only nerves, and that he was more anxious than he showed. Thankfully for him, the lie was convincing enough.

It wasn’t long before the attack on the Hydra headquarters was underway. Steve had broken off from the rest of the group, taking a motorcycle with him that was packed full of gadgets and modes that would help him get right to the front gates of the Hydra headquarters. Tony had opposed it to begin with, but Steve explained to him how it was going to make it easier to get into the base. If Hydra was focused on an attack by just one man, then they would be caught off guard when several more came into attack after the one was captured.

Finally agreeing with Steve, Tony sighed and tried to force down another wave of morning sickness. He was going to be miserable, but he wanted to fight. He had to. It wasn’t just his own freedom on the line, but the freedom of many other people in the world. No one deserved to be dictated by an alpha who only cared about money or fame or power.

The next thing Tony knew, they were all heading out to the Alps, very little chatter happening on the planes. It wasn’t a comfortable silence, but Tony had gotten a seat next to Steve, and when his stomach started to act up again, he grabbed the alpha’s hand and held tight, trying not to throw up everywhere. He was glad that Steve tried to make the situation better by squeezing his hand back and shuffling closer. Steve’s scent was heavy with anger, but Tony still found comfort in it. It was still Steve’s scent, and Tony would take anything he could get, even if it was an angered scent. For him, while being pregnant, it calmed him enough to have his stomach settle a little, allowing Tony to open his eyes again, which he hadn’t realized he had closed.

The European landscape flew by as Tony looked out the window, wondering just when the war was going to end. It had already lasted far longer than anyone had anticipated, but that nasty alpha who was the leader of Germany just didn’t know when to quit. It sickened Tony to even think of how many people were being slaughtered or taken advantage of. It was disgusting, and it would only end when the Nazis, and Hydra, were defeated for good. Only a few more steps had to be taken, but they were careful steps. One slip up at the Hydra headquarters could have meant disaster for the rest of the world. 

Swallowing, Tony turned his head back into Steve, sighing and casually draping his hand over his stomach. It would only be roughly seven more months before he and Steve had their own child to take care of. Tony had been thinking of ways to tell his alpha, but nothing he thought of was a good way to tell him. Besides, if Tony had told him before, there would have been no way Steve would have let him fight. It would be too dangerous.

Yet here he was.

Tony wished he could have found the words to express how anxious he felt, but nothing came to mind as he finally felt the plane he rode in begin to descend. It was almost time to fight again, and suddenly all those butterflies that had gone from his stomach, thanks to Steve, returned full force and made him gag only briefly. If was being honest with himself, he was terrified of what was to come.

Noticing his omega gagging, Steve rubbed Tony’s thigh comfortingly. “Easy… After today, things will be better.”

“You don’t know how badly I want that to be true,” the brunet said as he grabbed Steve’s hand and held it tight. 

“It’ll happen, just wait.” The blond left a gentle kiss on his omega’s cheek just before the plane touched down, and everyone on the plane got to their feet and prepared to jump out as soon as it stopped rolling.

Steve headed to the back of the plane, where a motorcycle was strapped down and ready to ride as soon as Steve deemed it necessary. Tony wanted to follow his alpha, and for a few moments he did follow Steve to the back, but one of the commandos settled their hand on Tony’s shoulder, telling him that Steve would be alright. It pained the omega to follow the commandos while glancing back at Steve, wondering if that would be the last time they’d see each other… Surely not.

Surely they’d be together again by the end of the day and could cuddle up together on a sofa and drink hot coffee together.

Whining, Tony turned his back to Steve and strapped on his arc reactor, feeling its energy flow through him and put up an invisible shield around him. Though his hands were covered with gloves, he still tapped on his ring to send Steve a quick “I love you” through the vibrations the ring sent. He felt a little better when he got an almost immediate response back, but as he was handed a rifle, Tony didn’t feel that much better. Maybe his father had been right. Maybe he should have stayed at home and just waited for Steve to get back home.

Tony shook his head. No, he couldn’t let himself think like that. Not after he had fought so hard to prove to Howard that he was capable of fighting in the war. Tony could handle the pressure he had basically given himself. He could fight like any alpha could.

Slipping his mask on, Tony fell into step beside the assault team he would be waiting with in the forest. He made himself forget everything but how to fight and the reason he was fighting; to end the war and go home. He listened to orders and plans given out by Colonel Phillips, finding Peggy and stepping closer to her, grabbing her hand and squeezing it. Tony smiled lightly behind his mask when she squeezed back, because he knew she felt him shaking.

“You can do this,” she encouraged after Phillips was done speaking. “You’re brave just like all the other soldiers. You fight just like them.”

“I know…” Tony shook his head, looking up at his friend with wide eyes, eyebrows turned upwards. “I… I need to talk to you when we get back to London. Alone. It’s… it’s something that’s honestly scaring me a bit, and I need to tell someone.”

“We have time now,” Peggy said gently, putting a hand on Tony’s shoulder. “Are you sure you want to wait?”

Tony nodded. “In case something happens… I want to wait.”

The two exchanged unsure expressions, but Peggy sighed and nodded. “Okay. Just don’t let your fear consume you, especially not here.”

“I won’t,” Tony promised, smiling enough that the skin around his eyes crinkled enough so Peggy knew he was smiling. 

Nodding, the beta woman smiled back and pulled the omega in for a quick hug. “We’ll talk more later. Just focus on heading out soon.”

Tony rolled his shoulders and moved to the front of the assault team, acting just as one of the commandos might. In the back of his mind, Tony wondered what rank he might be in the army if he had been an actual soldier. His mind didn’t linger on that thought for long, because his eyes caught sight of Steve pushing the motorcycle out of the plane and towards the woods. A quick tap of his ring got Steve to pause and look towards the assault group, and as soon as he spotted Tony at the front with Phillips and Peggy, he nodded, and Tony nodded back. Then everyone was heading out, moving into position for the attack on Hydra’s headquarters. 

The walk was somewhat long, but Tony was there at the front of a team of alphas and betas, feeling almost like he was leading them to battle, though he knew it was really Phillips leading them. Sighing, Tony walked on, keeping his rifle close to his body, eyes roaming over the trees and looking for any abnormalities.

When they were finally in position, the Hydra headquarters just barely visible, Tony kept watch with a few other alphas while Colonel Phillips radioed in to the Howling Commandos and Steve that the assault team was ready. It was then only a matter of waiting. The forest was quiet, foggy, cold. Where Tony expected there to be chatter, there was none. No one looking at each other, just at the surrounding forest, waiting, watching, listening. The suspense in the air was so thick, Tony was sure he could cut it with a butter knife. Even the smallest bit of noise from a squirrel or bird caused some of the soldiers to flinch and scare themselves. It wasn’t like Hydra knew they were there, but there were some doubts that they were completely safe within the trees.

The sounds of a roaring motorcycle broke the silence in the forest, and Tony gripped his gun tighter, waiting even more. The motorcycle Steve was on soon came into view, and Tony’s heart leapt in his throat when he watched a tank come rolling through the first gate of the base. There was a flash and a lot of heat, and then the tank was in pieces, Tony just barely making out Steve vaulting over the first gate on the bike, and then the alpha was gone from his view once more. He swallowed the whine that built up in his throat.

The assault team was left waiting once more, the chaos behind the gates of the Hydra base soon fading and leaving the forest in silence once more. Everyone held their breath as they watched, listening for the call that would bring them into the battle. All they had to do was wait out Steve getting captured, which had already happened, if the silence was a telling sign, and wait for the Howling Commandos to come ziplining in, guns blazing and shooting down Hydra agents.

A flock of birds suddenly burst out of the trees, cawing and screeching as they fled the Hydra base, and then the radio next to Colonel Phillips crackled to life, giving the command that the team had been waiting for.

“We’re in! Assault team, go!”

“Move out,” Phillips commanded with a shout, Tony already sprinting forward and leading the attack.

Through the trees, the team ran, bursting out of the forest with war cries and shouts of “Stay back” and “Keep your distance” floating above the cries. Tony shot at who he could, crying out when one soldier standing next to him suddenly evaporated in a blue haze. He dodged as best as he could around fallen soldiers and Hydra agents, shooting at any Hydra agents he could while also dodging the deadly shots from the guns the agents had. He had known about those weapons, but he hadn’t seen them in action in real life, and heaven be damned if he wasn’t absolutely terrified of those guns. 

Sliding behind some crates, Tony caught his breath, his heart pounding in his chest and his eyes wide open. Czechoslovakia hadn’t been anything like this. This was absolutely hell compared to Czechoslovakia. 

A few more soldiers were blasted out of existence as Tony rolled out from behind the crates and started shooting again. Peggy came up from behind him and fell into step as they charged forward again, shooting and pushing back Hydra agents until they looked like they were beginning to retreat. Finally, they were winning the battle a little, and if they kept pressing forward, Hydra would have no choice but to surrender.

Tony was so caught up in charging forward and looking ahead of him that he didn’t expect a hand to reach out and grab his neck as he ran past some barrels. He let out a choked scream as he was pulled back and lifted into the air, the hand around his neck tightening and closing off a bit of his airway. He flailed against who had snatched him up far too easily, and he knew the scent of the brute was that of an alpha, a starved one at that. The alpha’s grip was far too tight for Tony to break free from, and that scared him perhaps even more than those guns did.

Whining, Tony looked down at his captor and tried to kick at him. His efforts were useless though, and the omega was thrown to the ground and pinned down by the wrists with the alpha’s hands, his ankles being bent a strange way that prevented him from kicking out again.

“You’re not a normal soldier,” the Hydra agent said in a thick German accent. “You don’t belong here, pretty thing. It’s a shame that you’re fighting Hydra.”

“Go choke on a dick,” Tony hissed, trying with all his might to fight back, break free as he heard Peggy cry out for him.

Peggy aimed her gun and shot at the alpha, her face scrunched up in anger, but her shots didn’t help anything. The alpha grabbed Tony and hauled him back to his feet and pulled him flush against his body. “Shoot again and I’ll make sure you hit this omega,” the alpha shouted, his alpha tone coming through strong.

“Just go, Peggy! I’ll be fine,” Tony said, struggling once more to break free. “Just go!”

“Tony, the barrels!” There was panic in Peggy’s voice.

“GO!”

Tony knew what kind of barrels those were. They were rigged to explode when Steve had been through. Only a minute or two was left before they exploded, but if Peggy’s life could be saved, Tony would want her to survive. And if Tony could get away in time, he could run as far as he could to escape the blasts, because there were several more sets of barrels set up near the next gate of the base, one that had been blown wide open by Steve’s motorcycle moments previous.

“I won’t let you die here,” Peggy screamed, but Tony shook his head violently. 

“No, just go Peggy! I can outrun the blasts!” Tony growled, or more snarled, before sinking his teeth into the arm of the Hydra agent’s uniform, tearing the fabric and letting go while enduring a rain of punches to the side of the head. He bit down again, hard, into the agent’s skin, until he tasted blood and the agent let go of his waist. Tony was gone quicker than the agent could blink, running away and heading towards the blown gate with his heart pounding in his chest. 

Peggy had started running ahead of him, thankfully, but as he ran past a set of barrels, time seemed to slow, and he heard the faint beeping of the explosives on the barrels reaching the end of their countdowns. He quickly took in a sharp breath, and then the world around him exploded in light and heat, the ground falling away from him as he was blown back from the force of the explosion.

Tony grunted when he landed, bouncing and rolling until he came to a full stop, with a weak groan. The ringing in his ears was painful, and the rest of his body hurt pretty bad as well. His mask had been blown clean off of his face. If he hadn't been blinded by the explosion, he would have noticed his arc reactor barely hanging onto his uniform flicker a little before glowing steadily again.

The headache Tony had when he opened his eyes was excruciating but he kept blinking and tried to get up as he saw some soldiers run towards him. He kept ignoring his pain as he got back to his feet, the soldiers helping him run to the gate where Peggy was waiting with wide eyes. Tony had to keep going, even if he was in pain. An explosion was not going to put him out of commission when he had fought for so long to get to where he was. He had to keep going, no matter how bad the pain was.

“We have to keep going, come on,” one of the soldiers said while letting go of Tony when the omega pushed him away. 

“No, Tony needs to stop here. He’s not fit to fight.”

“The hell I’m not,” Tony grunted as the ringing in his ears subsided a little. “Gotta keep going. Gotta help Steve…”

Peggy knew they were on a tight schedule, and she didn’t have time to argue about whether Tony should stay behind or not. But that didn’t stop her from trying to talk sense into Tony. “You’re hurt, you need to stay behind. I can take you back to the plane and we’ll get you patched up.”

“I’ll be fine,” Tony reassured her as he straightened up and grabbed a rifle that had been left nearby, stumbling a bit when his headache suddenly increased. “Fuck… keep moving… gotta get to Steve.”

“You’re not fine, Tony! You can barely stand on your own two feet.”

“I am standing though,” Tony argued. “If I can stand, I can fight.”

“That’s hardly a good way of thinking…”

Tony sucked in a breath, coughed, and then headed into the hallway that led into the base. “Come on, we have to help Steve.”

“Of course you’re still going to fight,” Peggy sighed, pinching her nose. “Fine, just take a break if it gets to be too much.”

“I’m feeling better already. I’m fine, Peggy.”

“Just don’t overdo it…”

Leading who was left of the assault team, Tony, pulled the rifle closer to himself, listening for clues of struggle. All he could hear, all he could smell was gun power and, honestly? Death. He coughed again, then gagged, and then he heaved up whatever had been in his stomach, because being blown away by the explosion had not only hurt him, but it upset his stomach as well. He brushed it off as just being tossed around too hard.

Several more soldiers were suddenly vaporized around Tony, and he raised his rifle, shooting at his targets preventing them from getting up again. He still hurt a bit, but his rise in adrenaline helped to block the pain, and he charged forward, shooting Hydra agents left and right until their path was clear once more.

Colonel Phillips came up beside Tony and Peggy as one agent came running at them, shouting, “Cut off one head, two more—”

The agent was silenced as Phillips took a shot at him, killing him on the spot. He reloaded the gun with a smirk. “Let’s go find two more.”

“Split up, we’ll get more that way,” Peggy suggested, already pulling Tony down one hallway with about half of the assault team following. 

“The hangar should be on the north side,” Phillips said as he jogged away. “Meet back there!”

Travelling along more hallways, Tony, Peggy, and the soldiers they took with them trampled down many Hydra agents. Of course some of the soldiers perished against the firepower of the ray guns that just seemed to vaporize the poor men like they were made of nothing more than dust. Down a specific hallway, Tony’s ears caught the familiar sound of Steve’s shield colliding with metal, and that made his heart race just a little bit until the next thing he heard sounded like an uncontrollable blaze of fire. Tony went into a dead sprint towards the source, Peggy trailing behind him with her gun raised and ready to shoot.

When they found the source, Tony’s eyes widened at the intense heat that suddenly blasted against his face. It wasn’t as intense as the explosion, but it was close. He stepped back a little, then grew angry and shot the man wielding flame throwers that were blasting fire in a very specific direction. The fire stopped almost immediately, or at least the fire coming out of the flame throwers stopped. The man _ exploded _ inside the suit he was wearing, falling to the ground and remaining as still as stone.

As soon as the man was down, Tony ran towards the flaming body, curious about the technology he had used, but his attention was changed immediately when he caught a whiff of Steve’s scent, and then Steve was right in front of him, looking a bit shaken but still pushing forward. Tony nearly collapsed when he whined and dropped his gun to hug his alpha tight. He let his guard down as Steve hugged him back and kissed the top of his head.

“God, there you are,” Steve almost whispered. “How are you holding up?”

“He got too close to an explosion and got blasted off his feet,” Peggy interrupted, looking around to make sure no more Hydra agents were around as the remaining soldiers pressed on through the hallways. “But he’s on his feet, and according to him, if he can stand on his feet, he can fight.”

“You look hurt,” Steve said as he looked over Tony when he pulled back. “Are you sure you can keep fighting?”

“I’m fine, I don’t feel any pain now,” Tony said with a smile.

“My tough little omega.” Steve smiled and was about to lean down to kiss Tony when Peggy interrupted again.

“Weren’t you about to do something, Captain?”

Steve straightened up. “Right…” He went to retrieve his shield, which had been lodged between two automatic doors. He looked back at Tony briefly before pulling out his shield and jogging away, the doors closing behind him.

Tony whined again when he tried to follow Steve, but Peggy caught his arm and started pulling him the other way. “We don’t have time, Tony. We need to get to the hangar.”

“I just wanna be with him…” Tony let himself be pulled away, another whine escaping before Peggy slapped him across the face, getting him to refocus.

“You can cuddle up with him later, right now we need to get our asses in gear and head to the hangar!” The woman huffed as she kept pulling Tony along, just in case he got the idea to run to Steve without warning. “Hangar now, alpha later!”

Tony couldn’t argue with Peggy as they ran as fast as they could. They were on a very tight schedule to catch Johann Schmidt, and there wasn’t a second to lose. Even just the little bit of talking with Steve might have jeopardized the mission, and Tony hated to think that, but it was most likely truth. Every little distraction was a tally against them. 

Through more and more hallways they went, attacking when they could and hiding when they couldn’t. Tony’s pain had been completely blocked by his adrenaline, which wasn’t the best thing, but it was keeping him in the fight, and he was going to fight as long as he had to, just to be with Steve at the end of the day, even if that meant taking things to the extreme. Tony would shoot as much as he could and throw as many punches as he dared to make sure as many soldiers as possible returned to London that day.

Tony landed a punch to yet another Hydra agent’s face with a growl, then shot them until they stopped moving. The growling stuck until the assault team soldiers blasted through the hangar door nearby, and Tony rushed to enter with them. Inside was chaos, soldiers fighting agents, agents getting shot down, soldiers evaporating into nothingness. But all the fighting was expected. What wasn’t expected was the gigantic plane that was speeding away down the runway that had been built into the hangar, and chasing after it, as fast as his legs could carry him, was Steve, sprinting like his life depended on it. Still, even he was not fast enough to catch up to the plane, and both Tony and Peggy could see that.

“We need to get Steve on that plane,” Peggy said when Colonel Phillips met them near a row of cars that had been parked in the hangar. “Otherwise we lose this fight.”

Tony looked over at the cars and jogged over to one, jumping into the driver’s seat and then ducking his head down below the dashboard. “I can hotwire this car, just get in so we’re not wasting time!”

Phillips looked at Peggy, impressed, but Peggy wasn’t fazed. She smiled and jumped into the car, motioning for the Colonel to follow. “Come on, action now, questions later, Colonel.”

“Right,” Phillips said as he also approached the car, jumping into the driver’s seat once the car roared to life and Tony scrambled into the back seat with Peggy.

Tony’s heart pounded hard in his chest when the car lunged forward, chasing down the plane and Steve. He had a moment to catch his breath, and he put a hand over his beating heart to relax, not wanting to stress too much for the sake of his baby. He admitted it was a stupid decision to come and fight, but he had to. He absolutely had to in order to prove his father wrong. When Tony’s hand was met with a strange wetness, he lowered his hand and glanced down at it briefly. Blood. That’s what it was. He was bleeding, and he hadn’t noticed it because of the coloring of his uniform. He just had to have chosen his uniform to be the same color as blood.

Swallowing, he wiped his hand on his pants and watched as Steve stopped running, looking at the plane as it sped away from him. Tony whined, then yelped as the car screeched to a halt beside the super soldier.

“Get in,” Colonel Phillips shouted at Steve over the noise that echoed off every wall in the hangar.

Steve glanced over at the car, then jumped in as fast as he could. He was barely sitting down before the car was lunging forward again, which made Tony gag a little. The quick motions weren’t kind to his stomach.

The car was fast, faster than any car that Tony had ever been in, and he honestly couldn’t help the smile that formed on his lips the faster the car went. It was probably wishful thinking to hope that one day he could drive a car like the one he was in, but he didn’t care. He was enjoying speeding after the plane that undoubtedly held Johann Schmidt in its pilot seat. Just the thought of Schmidt made Tony growl, and Steve growled along with him.

When the plane started to pull away even from the car, Tony whined and gripped the seat in front of him, which was Steve’s. No, they couldn’t fail now! They were so close, there had to be something to get them closer to the plane. Tony desperately looked over the dashboard, searching for a switch or something that would unlock some secret gear that would make the car go faster. And then there it was. A button, labeled in German but Tony figured there was no harm in trying it. He pointed to the button desperately and shouted.

“Push that button now!”

Phillips didn’t waste time to smash the button that Tony had pointed to. The car’s engine roared and it surged forward, once again gaining on the plane that was so close to leaving the runway. 

The car flew down the runway, chasing after Schmidt at speeds Tony never thought he’d ever be traveling. It was thrilling, but also terrifying, and he gripped the seat in front of him as tight as he could with wide eyes, his hair whipping around his face wildly.

When the car was closer to the plane, Steve got out of his seat and planted his foot just outside the car door. He held his shield close to his body, chest heaving as his nerves keep his heart pounding. “Keep it steady,” he shouted at the colonel, preparing to duck under the blades propelling the plane.

“Wait!” Tony pulled himself up and grabbed onto Steve as tight as he could, pulling the alpha in for a kiss with a gentle hand on Steve’s cheek.

When they pulled away from each other, Tony smiled. “Go get him…”

Steve smiled right back, then turned to face the plane once more as he fastened his shield onto his back. He climbed around to the front of the car with just barely enough time to duck, the spinning blades scraping against it with a terrible screech. Tony, Peggy, and Phillips also had to duck to avoid getting hit by the blades, and they had to remain ducked as the plane picked up speed once again, which scared Tony half to death. He felt like if he breathed wrong, the blades would take off his head, and that would be the end of him.

Whining, Tony gripped Peggy’s coat sleeve as tight as he could while looking up at his alpha, who stood up at the front of the car and balanced himself. It felt like a long moment before Steve bent his legs and launched himself at the plane with a grunt, and then the car was screeching to a halt as fast as Phillips could make it stop. The car spun to the side as the plane flew forward, taking Steve with it, which made Tony whine even more. He even cried out as the car’s tires squealed against the pavement, smoke flying away from the rubber as the end of the runway grew closer and closer. Tony didn’t know why he screamed. He had been strong up until that point, but for some reason, the fear of falling off a cliff and the fear of losing Steve for good were stronger than his will to keep fighting. 

As the edge of the cliff came far too close, Tony squeezed his eyes shut and glued himself to Peggy, tears forming in the corners of his eyes until finally, the car stopped with the back tires hanging off the end of the runway. Tony let out a short whine as he opened his eyes again and quickly looked back at the plane flying away.

There was a quick vibration from the ring Tony wore, and he had to hold back his tears as he watched his alpha be carried away, unsure if he was going to come back.


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's this chapter a little earlier than normal! My normal posting day is a busy day, so I thought I'd be nice and give you some more angst early lmao. Also this chapter is where the unprofessional medical procedures tag comes into play.
> 
> Also also! We're only two chapters away from the end of this fic! Chapter 15 is officially the end, but there's a surprise chapter after that ;)

All the survivors had been given the orders to move out and head back to London, as soon as the dead and wounded were counted. Tony knew he should have been counted in that wounded number, but he needed to know when and if Steve radioed in to ask for help. He needed to be there for his alpha, no questions asked. Besides, he still really wasn’t in any pain, or at least he couldn’t feel any pain despite finding it hard to keep himself upright , and his heart was beating at a normal pace. Or at least, normal for needing to talk to Peggy after all that had happened in the capture of the Hydra headquarters. Tony knew Peggy was going to be furious with him, but Tony would argue that he had to come, had to fight. Besides, he was still alive and wasn’t even beginning to have a protruding belly quite yet, and as long as he was alive, surely the baby would be perfectly fine.

Tony swallowed, trying to ignore the blood soaking into his uniform and making him shiver. He needed to tell Peggy about the baby soon, because there was the possibility that he could pass out any time from blood loss. Not that he had felt like he had lost a lot of blood. His uniform already felt stiff, like the blood was dying and scabbing already.

“Peggy,” He said, catching the attention of the beta as they headed up the radio tower inside the Hydra base’s hangar. “I wanna talk now.”

Turning her head, Peggy, raised an eyebrow. “Are you sure? It can’t wait until we get back to London?”

Tony shook his head. “No… No, I need to tell you now, in case…” 

Tony couldn’t finish his sentence, and Peggy could guess how it was going to end. Nodding, she pulled Tony to the side, away from the soldiers taking Hydra agents into custody and taking over the radio tower. “Alright, what’s the matter?”

“I…” Tony fidgeted with his hands as he looked up at Peggy. “Steve and I got… close over the holidays. Like, we shared one of my heats together.”

“Tony, why are you filling me in about your love life?” Peggy asked, smiling. “I don’t need to know every detail of your relationship.”

“No, you don’t understand… You need to know this. Steve and I shared my heat… and he was in rut at the same time. We…” Tony swallowed again, putting a hand over his stomach subconsciously. “We forgot to use protection and… Peggy, I’m pregnant!”

At first, Peggy had no reaction at all, simply staring at Tony blankly. Then she took in a breath as her eyes widened. “What?! Tony, you fought out there, you could have died! Fuck, Tony!”

Tony winced at Peggy’s sharp words. He knew she was going to be upset, but somehow he didn’t think of how upset she would be. 

“Your baby could be at risk,” Peggy went on. “You almost got blown up, your baby can die so easily at this point! Oh my god…”

“I’m sorry, Peggy… I couldn’t tell you before. You would have told me to stay back in London. But I had to prove to my dad that I can still fight! You understand that, don’t you?”

“It’s one thing if you’re not pregnant, Tony, but you are! You put yourself _ and _ your baby at risk! I know you wanted to fight, but…” Peggy sighed and brushed back her hair. “You shouldn’t fight again until after you have that baby. You understand me?”

“I guess…” Tony sighed and looked at the floor.

“Don’t just guess, Tony. Know.” Peggy lifted Tony’s head and offered a worried smile. “Promise me you won’t fight again until the baby is born.”

There was silence, and Peggy never got a straight answer from Tony, because Colonel Phillips stuck his head out of the top of the tower and called out for the two.

“Carter, Stark, get up here! We’re trying to establish a link with Rogers.”

Tony hurried away, wanting nothing but to hear Steve’s voice and know he was okay. That was all that mattered to him. Running up the stairs, Tony’s arc reactor bounced around on the straps that barely held it only the uniform, and every time the reactor got a little bit further away from his chest, he winced, a little bit of pain shooting through his chest. He ignored it though, because the pain went away when he was still once more, pacing about the room and chewing on his thumbnail as he waited, as they all waited for Steve to radio in.

Sitting next to the radio was one of the Howling Commandos, and Tony wished that he had been the one to sit in that seat, but he felt better pacing around. His stomach was filling with butterflies anyways, and the more he moved around, the better he felt.

It felt like hours of waiting. Nothing was coming through the radio. No static, no voices, nothing, and that worried Tony even more than he already was. He almost felt like his heart would stop beating.

And then finally, Steve’s voice, slightly panicked and hysterical, came through the radio.

“Come in, this is Captain rogers, do you read me?!”

The commando at the radio responded first as Tony nearly tripped on his feet to get to the radio. “Captain Rogers, what is your—”

“Steve, is that you?! Are you alright?” Tony pushed the commando out of the chair and sat down with wide eyes, Peggy grabbing the chair behind him.

“Tony! Schmidt’s dead.”

“What about the plane?” Tony asked, also sounding hysterical.

The pause before Steve answered made Tony’s heart sink. “That’s a little bit tougher to explain.”

“Ok, give me your coordinates and I’ll get you a safe landing site.” Tony started looking over the instruments around the radio as he spoke, hands shaking.

“There’s not going to be a safe landing… But I can try to force it down.”

Tony’s chest felt tight, words failing to come out of his mouth as tears started blurring his vision. No… No, Steve had to come back safely. He had to, there was no other option! Tony swallowed, hearing people leave the room as he spoke once more.

“I-I’ll get my dad on the line. He’ll know what to do.”

“There’s not enough time,” Steve replied. “This thing’s moving too fast, and it’s heading for New York.”

More silence. Tony didn’t know what to say. He knew what Steve was implying what Steve knew he needed to do, and Tony wanted to scream and object. Steve couldn’t leave him again, not when he couldn’t come back. It was unfair. They had plans for the future! They were going to get married, and they were having a baby together, it just wasn’t fair for Steve to leave again!

Choking back his sobs, Tony listened, waited. Steve’s next words seemed to hit him harder than previous words.

“I gotta put her in the water.”

“Please, don’t do this, Steve. We have time, we can work it out!”

“Right now I’m in the middle of nowhere. If I wait any longer, a lot of people are going to die.”

When Tony didn’t answer, unable to speak again as his sobs escaped, Steve said the omega’s name so gently, so sweetly, that Tony could literally feel his heart breaking into a million pieces.

“Tony… this is my choice.”

The omega’s body shook with his sobs. He wanted to speak, to object to Steve’s plan, but he physically couldn’t speak without wailing. He remained silent, listening to the last sentences his alpha was ever going to say to him. The new pain he felt was gut deep and heart aching, and there was no escaping or healing it. Tony knew he only had a short time left with his alpha, and he wanted to badly to hold Steve as tightly as he could.

“Tony?”

Steve’s voice allowed Tony to build up the strength to speak again, his voice soft and full of emotion. “I’m here…”

A little more silence, then Steve spoke again. “I’m gonna need a rain check on our next date.”

“Alright,” the omega responded, holding back another sob, even as tears streamed down his face. He thought for a minute, trying to come up with a way to respond. “One week. Next Saturday at A&W in upstate California.”

“You got it,” Steve replied, his voice even and collected.

“Eight o’clock, on the dot. Don’t you dare be late,” Tony said, his voice cracking. “Understood?”

A brief pause. “You know, I still don’t know how to make cheeseburgers the way you like them.”

Tony offered a dry laugh. “I’ll show you how, just make sure you come home…”

“Afterwards we can dance to something slow. Just like we did at the—”

The radio suddenly went to static, and Tony’s heart dropped the last bit it was holding on. A new flood of tears blurred his vision as he waited for the static to clear up, but it never did. He panicked, his breathing coming in short breaths. “Steve?”

Nothing. No response came, and that was that. Steve was gone, and Tony didn’t want to admit it was true. “Steve? _ Steve? _”

There was nothing more to be said from the brave alpha who had sacrificed himself for the safety of his country. Steve Rogers had said his last words to his omega, and they left burning marks on Tony’s broken heart as he sat in that chair and sobbed loudly. He mourned over his mate, the one he was to marry and the father of the child that grew inside him. He mourned over his best friend he had lost only days before. Tony mourned long and hard for the two people in his life who had loved and supported him and were the best friends he had ever had. They were both gone, and all Tony had was his parents and Peggy. Tony was suddenly lost in the large world that had so cruelly taken Bucky and Steve from his life.

Standing just outside the room, Peggy and Phillips watched the broken omega cry out for his alpha. Peggy couldn’t help her own tears from falling, putting a hand against her lips as she silently cried. She felt guilty for only moments before getting upset at Tony for fighting while pregnant, and now that baby was the only thing Tony had left that was wholly Steve. 

Tony cried until his throat was raw and he could barely breathe, his whole body shaking as he felt cold. He stared at the floor long after he couldn’t cry any more, hugging himself and struggling to keep himself from going into a full blown panic attack, though he was mostly in one already. It was impossible for him stop as he realized how much he had been sweating, despite feeling cold. He had to get medical attention… but he was too broken to do so. He didn’t move himself from that chair in case, by some miracle, Steve came back on the radio asking for help. But the request never came, and Tony felt numb. 

Steve was gone for good this time.

It was about half an hour more before Peggy had returned to Tony’s side and helped him out of the chair, noticing the blood staining parts of his uniform that weren’t the dark red of the midsection. There was nothing big she or the medics could do but wrap up his torso before helping him onto the plane that would extract the troops out of the area.

Somehow Tony stayed awake through the whole plane ride, though he remained feeling numb. His eyes stared out the window, emotionless, red, and dried up. How his heart ached for Steve to come back with that bright smile on his face and his blond hair just slightly out of its normal style. Tony would have given anything to bring Steve back, but there was nothing he could give. Tony was alone without his alpha once more, and he hadn’t realized until that moment just how much he had changed in the time he had known Steve.

Rain began falling as the plane flew over the mountains and returned to London. Somehow Tony had found the ability to cry once more on the plane, and everyone who heard and saw him couldn’t bear to feel the pain saturating the poor omega’s scent. Peggy was lucky she was a beta, because she would have broken down for sure just by Tony’s scent alone. The whole plane was filled with grief-laced scents, and it only made Tony more miserable.

When they landed in London, the rain was falling harder than when they were on the plane. The snow on the roads were being melted into slush by the rain. It wasn’t a warm rain by any means. It was cold and heavy and dark. It was the complete opposite type of rain that fell the night Steve and Tony had their first A&W date. This rain felt like it would never stop.

All the soldiers ended up returning to the base that was their safe haven in London, Howard waiting there to hear the news of how the mission went. He was worried he wouldn’t see his son among the soldiers filing in, but he didn’t have much more time to search before he was pulled away to begin formulating a search plan, first to find whatever source of power Schmidt had been using, but also to search for Steve, as he had learned the grim news from Colonel Phillips. It was painful to hear, knowing how close his son had been to the captain, but he refocused his mind on the search plan. He didn’t notice when Peggy and Tony slipped in last behind all the soldiers and Howling Commandos.

“You need to get medical attention,” Peggy said, as firmly as she could, but try as she may, she couldn’t force Tony to do anything but walk forward, not after he had lost the love of his life. Trying to talk to Tony was like talking to a brick wall. Instead of going to the medical bay of the base, Tony pulled away from Peggy, stumbling around with expressionless eyes and finding a spot to hide away and grieve.

Peggy let him go, knowing he wanted to be alone, and she went off to fetch the medics instead. She’d find him later anyways.

Tony wanted to go to the locker room to change, but Steve’s scent hit him like a wall as soon as he stepped in the room, and his eyes grew wet all over again. He couldn’t stand to be there with the scent of his alpha surrounding him when Steve wasn’t going to ever come back. So he fled the locker room, trying to find a quiet place to hide. He settled in the bathroom first, but that proved to be a bad spot as there were more people going in and out than he liked. The next place he hid was a closet, and he didn’t like how several people were calling out his name, probably medics who wanted to help him.

Tony didn’t want help. He wanted to die. He wanted to be with Steve again and nothing else. Tony didn’t care about getting help for his wounds or his broken heart. There was just nothing anyone could do that could help Tony.

Eventually the voices calling out for him faded away, and Tony was able to crawl out of the closet. He suddenly had a longing for Steve’s scent, despite wanting nothing to do with it when he first arrived back at the base. He almost craved the alpha’s scent, wanted to be surrounded by it and be comforted by it. He wanted the pain to go away, and somehow he thought that Steve’s scent would make him physically feel better.

When he got to the locker room, without anyone seeing him thankfully, Tony sat on the bench in the screened off area he had put on his uniform in before. It smelled like Steve, which made Tony feel a little bit better, but his chest was hurting again, as well as his stomach. He tried to sit upright as he looked over his blood soaked uniform. He groaned at the sight, noting for future reference that red was a bad color for his uniform. Sighing, Tony kicked his boots off, and he almost fell off the bench from the simple action. There was something wrong with him, and he really didn’t feel good the more he thought about it. His stomach churned and his chest hurt with a pain that felt physical and emotional, which of course made sense to him. He had just lost his alpha, whom he was mated to, and that bond alone was painful to have when one side of that bond died. Tony wanted to scream, but his throat hurt too much to make any sound. He remained silent, thinking, mourning as he took parts of his uniform off. He just wanted to get into comfortable clothes and curl up with his mother, maybe have her read him a story and sleep in his bed with him, just so he didn’t feel so alone.

When Tony took off his arc reactor, the pain in his chest suddenly increased, and he gasped before he powered through the pain, tossing the reactor onto the floor and out of his reach before taking off his top. He grimaced through the pain, the top of the uniform sticking to his skin as he peeled it off. It was then that he saw how bad his injuries were.

Lodged deep into his skin were pieces of shrapnel and other pieces of metal. They were mostly digging into the skin over his heart, and the wounds were still bleeding quite a lot.

Tony’s breath hitched in his throat as his eyes widened. He hadn’t known how seriously he had been injured until that moment, and he was thrown into a panic attack all over again. His shaking hands reached up to touch his chest, but before he could really touch the skin, a wave of intense pain that took his breath away jolted through Tony’s body. He cried out weakly as he fell forward onto the floor, clutching his chest as best as he could. New tears sprang up from his eyes as he struggled to breathe and stop shaking. He was terrified of what was going to happen to him. Not even the lingering scent of his alpha could calm him as he panicked on the floor, stripped of almost all his clothes and feeling colder than before.

Tony laid there for several minutes, trying to crawl across the floor and reach his arc reactor. In his panic he had done the math in his head that the electromagnet in the reactor had prevented the shrapnel from digging further into his chest. If he could have just reached it, he might have been able to save himself.

Another wave of pain hit Tony, and he felt his consciousness fade; his hand falling just out of reach of the reactor. He couldn’t bring himself to move anymore, his pain too great and his breathing just not enough to support such a laborious task. The room spun as he struggled to even breathe. He couldn’t call out for help, he just had to hope that help would soon arrive. If it didn’t… 

Well...

At least he’d be with Steve again.

Tony finally fell unconscious after a losing battle, and his life was suddenly in the hands of anyone who might have been lucky to pass by and notice just his arm peeking out from behind the screen set up in the corner of the locker room.

* * *

Howard finally got to pull away from the meeting he was dragged into after the base had mostly cleared out. Not once had he seen Tony when he had the chance to glance up, and he hoped that his son had been able to return, despite losing Steve. Howard had to remind himself that he had to be gentle with his son, because otherwise, he might lose all contact with Tony due to the actions of his past.

Searching the base top to bottom, Howard was growing increasingly worried when he couldn’t find Tony. He tried calling out for his son, but he never got an answer, no matter how loud he called. After several minutes of searching the base with no results, the older beta felt a sinking feeling grow in the pit of his stomach. He would never forgive himself if he had allowed his son to leave and get himself killed on a battlefield he should have never gone onto in the first place. Maria would never forgive him if he had let that happen.

Howard was running after several more minutes, heart beating rapidly in his chest as he feared the worst. He was about to assume the worst and go find Peggy, but he heard a cry for help, one that didn’t sound very strong, and sounded vaguely like Tony.

That one weak cry made Howard happy and scared. He knew his son was alive, but by the sound of that cry… 

It didn’t look hopeful. Howard skidded into the locker room while breathing heavily, just in time to see Tony’s hand fall against the floor and watch his son go alarmingly still. 

“Tony!” Howard shoved things out of the way to get to his son, and when he pushed the screen away, he gasped and held shaking hands over his son’s unconscious body. “Oh my god…”

First Howard looked at what Tony had been reaching for, which was the arc reactor. He admired its design only briefly before he turned his son onto his back, and that was when he saw the wounds. They were deep and would be hard to patch up. Confused at first as to why Tony had been reaching for the reactor, Howard made a frustrated sound. He knew that if he didn’t do something fast, Tony might die. There wasn’t time to call a doctor or a medic. Tony needed immediate attention, and the only person around was Howard.

Howard quickly ran through lines of action. He saw knives on Tony’s belt, but that wasn’t going to help unless he needed to carve a line or hole into his son. Then his mind returned to the reactor. Remembering his own designs, he knew the reactor had some sort of electromagnet inside it. And of course magnets either repelled or attracted metal, depending on the magnetic levels of the metal. If the reactor had saved Tony for hours until he had taken it off, then it only made sense that the reactor had been pulling away the shrapnel from Tony’s heart. 

The straps the reactor was on barely were strong enough to keep the reactor attached to Tony if he moved around, and there weren’t any proper materials that were around to keep the reactor on Tony’s body. Howard swallowed, going over the thought that had just crossed his mind. It was risky, as he was no medical professional, but there was the chance that it could help.

Making up his mind, Howard grabbed one of the smaller knives and the lighter he had in his pocket, sterilizing the blade before, with a shaking hand, he dug it into the middle of his son’s chest. There was so much blood, and it was clear that Tony had lost a lot already, but if could get conscious once more, Tony might be able to get to a doctor to get more blood if he needed it. It was impossible to tell just how much blood he had lost already, but Howard hoped that he hadn’t already lost more than a third. Otherwise, it was almost guaranteed that Tony would die.

Howard picked up a bigger knife and sawed through muscle and a little bone to make enough room. He hoped that Tony’s body would welcome the intrusion and help keep his heart safe, but the longer he worked, the more worried he became. There wasn’t really anything to put against the cut muscle and bone, except maybe the metal casing around the arc reactor, which would help at least keep the blood out of the reactor. If it worked, that is.

Time felt slow as Howard worked and worked to save his son. Blood was far up his arms and on his shirt as he worked, trying to keep himself calm as he performed such an unpracticed medical procedure on Tony. It was the only quick way Tony could be saved, even if it was taking longer than Howard had anticipated. Racing against the clock, the beta worked and put aside his feelings, putting that true Stark brainpower to use as he came up with solutions to problems on the fly. There were so many things that could have gone wrong, and yet, everything Howard was doing yielded the least amount of blood and carving possible. 

When the metal casing was sterilized and transferred to the hole in Tony’s chest, Howard took a few seconds to breathe and refocus, taking materials from the first aid kit Tony had carried as a soldier and doing his best to sew up the open skin around the casing until he was sure the casing wasn’t going to go anywhere. It was embedded almost as deep as the shrapnel was, and Howard hoped that was enough to hold the reactor in place.

When the casing was secure, Howard wiped his hands on his pants before grabbing the reactor and pushing it into the casing. A little blood seeped out of the lines of stitches he had made, but it was very little. Soon the reactor locked into place inside the casing, which had kept it secure on the straps before, and Howard let out a sigh of relief. The hard part was over. All he had left to do was dress the other wounds Tony had and wait.

Some rubbing alcohol and clean bandages cleaned up the wounds as best as Howard could do, and then he sat down with Tony cradled in his arms. The omega wasn’t able to wake up for a while, that much Howard knew, but at least he had stopped the major bleeding, and hopefully he had saved his son from death.

“Come on, Tony,” Howard kept saying, willing his son to open his eyes and be at ease. “Fight, Tony. Fight like you did on the battlefield…”

“Howard? Are you in here?” Peggy’s voice spoke up, startling Howard a bit. She stepped into the locker room, and to her horror she saw so much blood on the floor along with Howard hunched over Tony with tears in his eyes. 

“Oh my god!” Peggy hurried over to the father and son, the medic who had been with her earlier rushing into the room hoping she had found Tony.

“Don’t crowd them too much, Ms. Carter,” the medic said as he approached Howard. “My god… what happened here, Mr. Stark?”

“I… I f-found him on the floor… He was unconscious. I tried to help him as best I could… I don’t know if it worked.” Howard swallowed and closed his eyes, feeling a little woozy.

“Relax, Mr. Stark,” the medic said, putting a calm hand on the father’s shoulder. “It’s alright. It looked like you dressed the wounds well. And… this?” He tapped the arc reactor in wonder.

“The wounds were too deep. There wasn’t time to take them out, I had to… I had to put this in his chest. I-It's keeping the shrapnel away from his heart.”

“Well… It looks like you made clean incisions. Not quite as good as a practiced hand, but remarkably well. If he hasn’t lost too much blood yet, he may survive.” The medic crouched down and felt for Tony’s pulse, pleased to find that it was steady and normal. “From what’s on the floor, I don’t think he passed out from blood loss. Was he passed out when you got to him?”

“I got here just as he passed out. I acted as fast as I could…”

“Good. His heart beat is regular now, so I’d say this is one lucky boy.”

“So he’s going to live?” Howard asked, looking up at the medic.

“If you acted as fast as you say you did, he has the chance. But it will take him time to wake up. We should get him to a hospital so he can be watched more carefully, just in case he takes a turn for the worst.”

Howard nodded. “Alright…”

The medic excused himself to call the emergency number for an ambulance, and Peggy, got on her knees close to Howard, eyes wide and full of tears. She shook her head and balled her hands up into fists on her thighs. “Why didn’t you let us help you, Tony? You wouldn’t have to have this stupid thing in your chest now…”

Howard couldn’t bring himself to respond in any way as he just looked down at his unconscious son, wondering if he had managed to save Tony or not.

Both Peggy and Howard were soon relieved of watching over the unconscious omega as the ambulance arrived and took Tony out on a stretcher. The medic who had been in the base offered to take both betas to the hospital to wait for Tony to be available for visitation, and he reassured them the whole trip that Tony was going to be fine, even if he himself wasn’t fully sure. But he knew a little comfort for the two would make them feel better, and he wanted them to be as stress free as possible.

* * *

Peggy shifted in her seat as she watched London pass by. She wanted to tell Howard about the baby, but maybe it was best he didn’t know. At least for the moment. Peggy would need to ask the doctors not to mention the baby when Howard was in the room. She at least hoped the baby was still okay, even after all the trauma Tony had been through.

The hospital was bustling with people, both patients and medical staff. Several beds were filled up with injured soldiers, and Howard worried there wouldn’t be room for his own little soldier. He was reassured that there was an empty room ready to take Tony, however, and that eased his worry if only slightly. With Peggy, he waited until the doctors had Tony medicated, to take away the pain and swelling, and monitored closely for any signs of heart failure. It took a while, but finally Howard and Peggy saw the doctors approach, and none of them looked grim at least.

“Who’s the one who put that thing in the young man’s chest?” one doctor asked, and Howard raised his hand a little. “You did a good job for having no experience. You’ve saved him.”

“For sure?” Howard asked, voice full of emotion. “He’s not doing to die?”

“Not any time soon, unless he takes a bad turn. Give him a couple days to wake up, then we’ll go from there.”

“Oh god, thank you doctors.” Howard smiled, hugging himself.

“Thank _ you _,” another doctor said. “Now why don’t we get you cleaned up before you can go see the omega?”

“Yeah…” Howard looked down at his arms, still covered in dried blood. “He’s my son, by the way. His name is Tony.”

“Tony is very lucky to have you as his father, then.”

Howard’s shoulders fell at that, his eyes falling to the floor. “He doesn’t deserve a father like me… Not after all I’ve done to him.”

“Let’s just focus on the present then,” the doctor said, leading Howard away to get him cleaned up.

“What relation are you to the omega, Miss?” the first doctor asked Peggy.

“Oh, I’m of no relation… just a friend, and a familiar face.” Peggy swallowed. “Is the baby alright?”

“Baby?”

“Tony’s pregnant… Just barely, but enough to be concerned.”

“We’ll have to get someone else in to look at him then,” the doctor said, his tone very serious.

“Of course. I just hope the baby survives.” Peggy nodded her head. “Also… maybe don’t mention it to Howard. He doesn’t know yet and… he wasn’t very fond of his son being in a relationship with the father of the baby.”

“I see, and that would keep Tony safer?”

“Yes, it would. For now, anyways. Please, that baby is all Tony has left of his alpha…”

The doctor nodded. “We’ll make sure that baby is healthy.”

“Thank you.”

When Howard came back, all the other doctors had left, leaving the two betas to wait a little longer for Tony to be cleared for visitation. Thankfully, they didn’t wait much longer, and soon the two were pulling up chairs to the bed Tony lay in. 

The room was quiet and calm, the sound of Tony’s breathing seeming to be the loudest thing in the room. It was almost like the war was over, and it was just a time of recovery. Of course, that was the furthest from the truth, with Steve being gone and Tony suffering from injuries that weren’t caught until it was almost too late. The weight of it all rested heavily on Howard’s shoulders, and he wished more than anything that Tony would open his eyes and smile at him. Wishful thinking, since Howard had previously not been a great parent to his son, but that little snarky smile from his son was all he wanted from the world in that moment. A smile and a hug.

The first day of waiting went by with nurses coming in to check Tony’s heart rate and wounds every hour or so. Nothing dramatic happened, which was good, but also not really desired. Howard hardly got any sleep worrying over his son, and Peggy was in much of the same position. Both worried endlessly over the omega, but they let the nurses and doctors do their jobs.

Tony got a few more visitors that day, the remaining Howling Commandos coming by to see how he was; shocked and pained to see their little friend in such a bad state. They all were hopeful, knowing that Tony was a tough omega and could survive anything if he put his mind to it. With their hopeful condolences, the Howling Commandos each left their wing patches with the omega, along with a little cash to help the family, because they knew more than anyone in the room, except for Tony, how hard it was to lose friends in war.

Day two of waiting yielded the same results. Tony remained unconscious but steady in breathing and heartbeat. The nurses made sure that Howard and Peggy were getting enough to eat while they watched over Tony, as well as making sure that Tony was getting the required nutrients he needed to stay healthy while recovering. The waiting process seemed to take forever to Howard, though by medical standards, only two days of waiting for a patient to wake up was not as hard as waiting for years. Still, Howard only grew more concerned by the day, even though he was reassured patients who suffered from cardiac arrest and were resuscitated typically woke up in a couple days. Howard wasn’t informed of how low the survival rate was, but he figured that if Tony wanted to keep living, he would fight as hard as he could.

Waiting for that moment of Tony’s awakening was proving to become more difficult, and Howard began to worry about making a call to Maria and break the news to her. He didn’t want to make the call, but by the end of the second day, the chances of Tony waking up and surviving seemed very slim. Howard probably had an understanding of why, but Peggy knew the situation better, and if Tony had made his decision that living without Steve wasn’t worth it, even with a baby that Steve was the father of, Tony wasn’t going to wake up ever.

Peggy knew Howard was too worried to hear the murmurs from the doctors in the hallways, the talk of letting Tony drift off while making him comfortable in his last moments. It was something Peggy didn’t want to hear being spoken of, but the reality was that not very many people survived cardiac arrest, even if they were resuscitated.

Sighing, Peggy stood up, ready to leave for the night, or the early morning rather. It was close to one in the morning, and though nurses and doctors kept checking on Tony, they never did anything new to help the omega feel like he needed to live. It saddened Peggy, but there was nothing she could do, and the doctors already had their hands full with injured and dying alpha soldiers, and because of that, unfortunately, omegas who were suffering injuries were often overlooked and ignored.

Howard lifted his head to look at Peggy as she gathered her things together. That was his cue to leave as well, go back to his apartment and get something to eat before heading off to bed. He never wanted to leave Tony’s side. He always found it hard, especially since his son was on the edge of life and death. It was so very hard for him to lean down and kiss Tony’s forehead and ruffle the dark curls once more while Tony couldn’t object to it. Maybe that was what made it hard for Howard. The fact that Tony couldn’t fight back, couldn’t yell at him for being such a good father all of a sudden, that broke Howard’s heart every time he kissed his son’s forehead. 

Peggy was already out the door, waiting for Howard when the slightest stirring from Tony’s bed made the bed springs squeak. Both betas stared at the bed for a few seconds, then Howard was rushing back to the bed, wide awake and hopeful.

“Tony?”

It took a few seconds, but Tony’s chest heaved upwards with a deep, shaking breath, and then the omega let it out slowly, opening his eyes for the first time in over 48 hours.

Howard’s vision instantly blurred as he smiled and looked down at his son. “Tony…” It took all his willpower not to just smother his son suddenly in a hug.

“...Dad?” Tony groaned and tried to shift around more, though he was too weak to do so. “Dad… my chest… I can’t…”

Looking down, Tony noticed a familiar glow emanating from his chest, and the source of that glow hurt. He couldn’t identify why it hurt until he focused and thought. The arc reactor. It was _ in _ his chest. He started to panic again, unsure of how he was going to keep living like this, but then his father put a gentle hand on his shoulder, and he looked up with wide, sparkling eyes.

"What happened?" Tony asked in a shaking voice once he had calmed enough to gather his thoughts. "Why… why is it _ in _ my chest?"

Howard swallowed and sat on the edge of the bed, seeing Peggy leave the room quickly out of the corner of his eye. She was probably running to get a nurse or doctor.

“Well… I was looking for you after everyone returned from the mission… and when I found you on the floor when you just passed out, I… well, I saved you, Tony.” Howard put his hand gently on the arc reactor embedded in his son’s chest. “I had to save you…”

The moment of silence was heavy between father and son. Tony was conflicted for sure, and he felt like shit, but his father had saved him. Howard had known the arc reactor was keeping him alive somehow, and he had known somehow that there wasn’t enough time to get him to the hospital without the reactor. Howard had known how bad a shape Tony was in, and despite their history, he had chosen to save Tony.

The omega couldn’t stop the sobs that ripped from his throat suddenly. There was a sense of closure as the father wrapped his arms around his son for the first time in a very long time and hugged him tight, protectively, safely. After learning the news about Steve, Howard knew that Tony needed support in whatever way he could get it. Howard wasn’t so cruel to let his son suffer after losing his alpha.

“You saved me,” Tony said after a bit, trying to speak clearly around his tears. “You… why did you save me?”

“Because you’re my son, Tony,” Howard replied. “I couldn’t just watch my son die after all you went through.”

Tony held back the new wave of tears remembering Steve’s sacrifice. “You never seemed like you wanted to save me before… you always yelled at me and wanted me to stay home, and now… I…”

The sobs got past Tony’s lips again before he was able to speak. “I lost Steve…”

“I saved you, because despite what we’ve gone through in the past, I still love you. I know you lost the man you love the most, and I know you feel terrible right now because of that… but I didn’t want you to die with a freshly broken heart. That’s no way to die after fighting for your life.”

Howard sighed and shook his head. “I know our past hasn’t been the best… but I want to fix this. I want to fix our relationship.”

Tony bit his bottom lip, closing his eyes as his body shook with silent sobs. “This won’t be fixed easily, you know…”

“I know, Tony… but I’ll make it last however long it needs to. I’m sorry… Tony, I’m sorry for all the things I’ve said and done to you. I’ve been in the wrong for so long while you suffered, and now you’re suffering more and it breaks my heart so bad to see you like this.” The father looked back at his son before moving his hand to wipe away some of Tony’s tears. “I’m so sorry, Tony…”

Tony was silent as he looked at his father, eyes red and puffy from crying, though it didn’t look like he was upset at Howard. If anything, he looked heartbroken of course, but forgiving, compassionate. Tony had it in his broken heart to forgive his father. Eventually. It would take time to heal the father and son’s bond, but Tony was willing to forgive, and that was all that Howard could ask for after all he had put his son through.

Sighing, Tony looked down at the blankets balled up in his hands. He wanted to scream and cry some more, but having his father there, actually supporting him for once, made his need to cry go away just a little.

As the doctors came into the room with Peggy trailing behind them, the omega sought the comfort of his father that he had wanted for so long. He muttered out a few words before the doctors became too preoccupied with him.

“Thank you…”


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alright folks, the worst of the angst is here! Plenty of emotions to be had in this chapter, which is another longer one. This chapter is also where the miscarriage tag comes into play.
> 
> I would also like to give a big thanks to my beta reader, writing partner, and one of the best friends I've ever had. Thanks to TiBun for writing the Howard and Maria scene with me.

Malibu seemed as dim and drab as it had ever been in Tony’s whole life. The rain was never ending, the cold downpour drowning out the sounds of the city and the light chatter being held on the plane Tony, Howard, and Peggy were on. Their landing in southern California signaled the end of the war for them. They wouldn’t need to fight any longer, so long as the troops fighting the Nazis won the war. They had to win soon. There was almost no other choice in the matter. With Schmidt finally gone from the world, Hydra would fall to pieces, and the Nazis would soon follow a similar fate. 

Of course, none of that mattered to Tony. All he could feel was emptiness, a hole in his being that was suddenly ripped open and left to decay while he was left alive with a physical hole in his chest. Everything about him hurt. His soul, his body, his mind, everything was hurt and broken, and Tony felt he had no way of healing after all he had gone through.

But there was still one spark of hope left; the baby growing inside him was still healthy despite the warning the doctors gave Tony about stress, both physical and mental. The baby was the last thing Tony truly felt he had that still had the spark of Steve’s spirit in it. His baby, whom he had called Little Bitsy on the plane, gave him some sense of a will to live. Little Bitsy was what kept Tony going, what kept him from ripping out the arc reactor in his chest and letting himself die while laying on his bedroom floor with a suicide note in hand. 

Though the baby still wasn’t very big, Tony swore he could feel the extra weight already. Or maybe that was him just eating too much and thinking it was baby weight. Either way, every time he managed to think of his baby, the slightest hint of a smile graced his lips.

This time when Tony landed back in California, it wasn’t just Jarvis waiting for him and his father, but Maria was also there, holding a hankie to her eyes because she had heard the terrible news about Captain America and of Tony’s dance with death. When she had learned the news, she had wept bitterly for her son and for the happy future he had been looking forward to. Now it had all been ripped out from underneath him, and when Maria finally looked upon his face again, she couldn’t hold back her tears when she looked at how dull and depressed he looked. A far cry from the happy days the holidays had brought to the Stark household.

Maria and Tony only had to make eye contact with each other once Tony was off the plane before they were running and colliding in a tight, tear-filled hug. Neither of them could utter a single word as they hugged, both of them knowing just how tragic the situation had suddenly become. When their crying had settled a little, Maria pulled back, glancing at Howard before speaking low.

“He doesn’t know yet, does he? If he had to find out so soon, I…” Maria paused, looking down at the glowing blue disk in the center of her son’s chest. “My god… it really was that bad…”

“It still hurts… I hurt, Mama…” Tony’s eyes filled with new tears as his mother held him. 

“My baby… I’m so sorry, I want to make this all better for you, but I know I can’t.” With the saddest look in her eyes that Tony had ever seen, Maria rested her hands on her son’s hips. “I wish I could just snap my fingers and cause your suffering to end.”

“Mom, I…”

Tony’s words faded as Howard approached his family, and without a second thought, the older man wrapped his arms around his son and wife, sandwiching Tony between his parents. The omega couldn’t hold onto his tears anymore. For the first time in his life, that he could remember, both his parents were supporting him, but the situation existed because Steve was gone, and that by itself was already so painful for the poor omega that the hug almost felt healing in a way.

The hug lasted for a good while before the three pulled away from each other. Maria was the one to break the silence when they all had a chance to wipe away their tears. 

“I think it’s high time we went home… Everything should be ready for us, thanks to Jarvis.”

“Thank you, J,” Tony managed to say while looking at the family butler.

“It’s the least I can do for you. I tried not to wash too many of Captain Rogers’s things, so their scent will last a little longer.”

Tony tried really hard not to break down crying again, he really did, but he was in so much emotional pain that he couldn’t help the fresh tears from rolling down his face. 

The ride back to the Stark manor was a long one, and Tony sat away from his parents in the car as they rode back. He wanted so badly to curl up in his bed and wake up from the nightmare he was having, but he knew the reality of the situation was that Steve was gone for good. Nothing could fill the emptiness he felt inside, not even the baby that belonged to Steve inside his belly. The pain was constant, and Tony felt like he would never get over losing the alpha he had loved so dearly.

Once they were home, Tony made a beeline for his room. He grabbed the drawing of he and his alpha that Steve had given him and propped it up near his bed. Then he gathered all the blankets, pillows, and clothes he could find to form up a nest that faintly scented like Steve, but it was just enough to eventually soothe the mourning omega to sleep. If he closed his eyes, he could almost imagine Steve’s arms wrapped around him and hands gently resting on his slowly growing stomach.

Tony opened his eyes and cried as he clutched his stomach gently. He had no one to seek comfort in but his child.

“I wish your daddy was here,” he whispered to the baby. “You would have loved him so much, and he would have loved you back just as much. He… he loved us so much, even if he didn’t know about you.”

Tony paused, swallowing and taking shaky breaths. “I know you were there for the whole thing… but losing your daddy hurts… it hurts a lot, Little Bitsy.”

Another round of tears sent Tony nearly wailing for his alpha, having the thought that the baby was like Steve’s last Christmas gift to Tony, and that seemed to break the omega’s heart even more. How could he even go on living like this? Being without his alpha for the rest of his life just didn’t sound enjoyable at all. Sure, maybe he would get lucky and settle with another alpha in the future, but no one could replace Steve. That alpha had been one of a kind, the only one in the world to have ever been born a beta and be turned into the alpha he had so easily become. It was like Steve had been destined to be an alpha all along, and had he not been an alpha, Tony probably would have dated Steve a little, but he didn’t know if he would have gone as far as he had with alpha Steve.

“Your daddy was a hero, Little Bitsy. He saved a lot of people, including me…”

Tony soon fell asleep with the faint scent of his alpha surrounding him. A calm washed over him as he slept. His dreams were surprisingly nice, visions of reuniting with Steve after being gone for so long, scenes of Steve meeting their child for the first time, though grown up quite a bit. Tony’s mind was put at ease, as if Steve’s spirit was soothing the omega and telling him that everything was going to be alright. In his dreams, Tony was happier than he had ever been, and each new scene he experienced put him in a more relaxed state until he no longer had any dreams, and he was left in a deep sleep for the rest of the day and well into the night.

If there was any sort of silver lining for Tony to follow, it was that maybe, just maybe, Steve would be found and he would be alive.

For several days after, Tony had a routine of staying in his room until his growling stomach was too much to bear, then he would get the slightest bit of food he could get away with before returning to his room, and the cycle repeated for the other meals of the day. Snacks would be brought up to him, because both Jarvis and Maria knew that he wasn’t eating enough to support the baby’s health, but every snack was almost always left on the nightstand to grow cold and stale. Tony was too depressed to know what he was doing to himself, and he was growing weaker by the day. He might not have seen it, but his family did, and they were all greatly concerned. 

Tony mostly kept to himself as the days passed by. He merely laid in his bed and stared blankly at walls or the ceiling while talking to his baby. He would say how excited he was to meet the child and all they would do when they were growing up. But Tony had absolutely no clue what he was doing to his baby, and the refusal of food and the neglect to do something about his panic attacks were doing a number on both him and the baby.

* * *

“Howard,” Maria slipped into her husband’s home office and moved around a mess of maps and charts that had been discarded by the man who had been charged with searching for whatever it was that Hydra had been using to power their weapons, and by extension--Steve. The man’s last search had found one of the two, but Steve was still missing, and the man was almost desperate to find the alpha his son had so clearly bonded with in all but physically--as far as he knew. With the object found, the military's interest in the search had decreased, leaving Howard alone in continuing.

And he had every intention of continuing until he found the alpha. He wasn’t blind. He could see how the loss and lack of closure was affecting his son. He noticed how little his boy managed to eat, the bags under his eyes, the pale color to his skin. Losing Steve was actively hurting Tony, and it was all Howard could do to try and find whatever was left of Steve Rogers. Even if it was just a body, it could give Tony a sense of closure, enough where he’d start regaining his health.

Maria and Jarvis did everything they could at home for the boy, as did the doctor that was making frequent house calls while Howard was out there searching for the one thing a medical degree couldn’t fix.

Howard had returned home the evening before after securing the glowing cube he’d found, and got to work on trying to calculate where the rest of the aircraft could have ended up--where Steve had landed. He hadn’t gone to bed at all, and Maria knew her husband was starting to obsess. So she made him a mug of coffee, just the way he liked it, and brought it over to him, setting it on the desk in front of him with a worried frown.

Rubbing his tired eyes, Howard looked up at his wife and sighed. “Thank you… How is Tony today? Has he eaten anything yet?”

“A slice of plain toast, that’s all.” she sighed, shifting things out of the way so she could sit on the corner of the desk, “There’s something you need to know about Tony. I had planned to let him tell you himself, but it looks like that isn’t going to happen any time soon.”

“What more could be wrong with our boy? He’s heartbroken and sick, and he barely moves when someone talks to him. It’s like… he’s dead.” Howard shook his head and closed his eyes. 

The worried mother sighed, looking out the window behind Howard’s desk a moment, “...Tony’s pregnant, Howard. He didn’t just lose his alpha…”

Howard blinked, then he sat back rather roughly in his chair. “Oh my god… Are you serious? You’re serious… How long has he been pregnant? He doesn’t look like he could be more than a month or so along.”

“During the holidays Tony’s heat lined up with Steve’s rut. They spent it together. It’s safe to say that’s likely when it happened.” she explained in a gentle tone.

The man was silent for a bit, drinking a bit of his coffee before he responded. "I had a suspicion they were physical with each other… I feel like this is my fault. I was the one who called for Steve to return to London. Took him away from Tony right after they shared a heat and a rut." 

Sitting up straighter, Howard's eyes widened. "Holy shit, Tony was fighting while pregnant! And he didn't think to tell anyone?!"

“Fighting? What do you mean he was _ fighting _?” Maria asked. She knew he’d been injured badly, but she had assumed that the fighting had gotten out of control and the enemy had pushed back past the lines to whatever base they had set up, and Tony was hurt then.

"He helped attack the last hydra base. He was a part of the assault team! He was in the crossfire of an explosion that caused some shrapnel to enter his chest. The arc reactor is keeping him alive by pulling the shrapnel away from his heart." 

Groaning, Howard stood up and placed his hands on his hips. "He risked that baby's life… and I let him fight."

“You let my baby boy fight as if he’s some soldier?” She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, “Tony...what on earth have you been thinking?”

"None of it matters now. What matters is that we get our son back to top health and we save that baby of his. In this condition, I don't think either of them will survive if we don't try harder."

“That’s why I’m here…” she sighed and moved to sit on Howard’s lap instead, looking up into his eyes, “The doctor’s worried. He feels at this point that there isn’t much he can do. Tony needs the feeling of security, and Steve isn’t here to give him that. It’s up to us to try, and hope that it’s enough to bring back his appetite before it’s too late and he loses the very last thing he has of Steve…”

Howard held his wife close and sighed. "Steve probably didn't know Tony was pregnant either… He wouldn't have let Tony fight if he knew."

“Definitely not. Steve wasn’t the kind of alpha who would risk something so precious. Our son, however...he gets ideas in his head and doesn’t think it all through, sometimes. I wish Steve had known so he could have been that chime of reason in Tony’s head.”

"I wonder why Tony didn't tell him. Maybe Steve would have found a way to survive if he knew."

“If I were to take a guess, I’d say it was because they had just lost their friend. Tony was excited to tell Steve about their little one, I don’t think he’d want the news to come right along with mourning a friend. Life and death are hard to take together. The baby would take away from needed mourning and the mourning would take away from the joy.”

Howard nodded. "Dang it, Tony… wish he would have told someone before we attacked that base."

“I should have had Jarvis tell someone of his condition when he was dropped off at the plane to be taken back to London…” Maria sighed.

"We'll do all we can now. I just hope we can spark some hope in our son. He's got more than one life to take care of now."

“I know you have been busy trying to find Steve, darling, but… maybe you should take a break and go see Tony.” Maria suggested.

"I suppose I should. Do we have any soup I could take to him? Maybe someone helping him eat will get him some more energy."

“Jarvis has some heating on the stove.” she nodded.

"Fantastic. Hopefully we can get Tony healthy again soon." Howard kissed his wife's cheek before he helped her up from his lap, then he stood up and sighed. 

“I think he does need his daddy right now. Good luck.” she encouraged him.

Moving to the kitchen, Howard rubbed his face as he tried to gather his thoughts. Now knowing that his son had been pregnant while fighting in a war, the father felt horrible for just letting Tony go do what he wanted. Tony had willingly fought while knowing his own condition, and it worried Howard to no end what might be going through the omega’s mind after being back home. Who knew what Tony might try next that would put him in harm’s way once more? If he had fought in a war while pregnant, what other stupid ideas could he get in that smart head of his? Tony Stark was math smart. He knew numbers like the back of his hands, could practically do calculus in his sleep. But when it came to common sense in situations that didn’t require math, he often was impulsive and gave little thought to the long term effects. It was his downfall, the stubbornness to jump into action and help someone when he needed to keep himself safe on the sidelines. It just wasn’t in his nature to leave someone who needed help, but in his willingness to help, he often disregarded self preservation.

Sighing again, Howard greeted Jarvis and told the family butler of his plans. The older man nodded his head and dished out a bowl of soup for both father and son before placing them on a tray with glasses of water. Howard thanked Jarvis and made his way back upstairs to Tony’s bedroom.

When he knocked, he didn’t expect to get a response. After being met with silence several times before, Howard never expected his son to respond to knocking on his door, and this time was no exception. When no response came, Howard carefully balanced the tray on one hand before opening the bedroom door and slipping inside. He set the tray down on a nearby accent table before closing the door behind him.

Tony was curled up under a pile of blankets and shirts, all the shirts belonging to Steve, though they had long lost their scent of the alpha. The omega’s usually bright and curious eyes were dull and sad, puffy from bouts of crying throughout the day. It was a sight that broke Howard’s heart, but he knew his pain of seeing his son so sick was nothing compared to the heartache that Tony was experiencing. The poor omega was paler than his sheets and thinner than he had ever been. He looked like he was barely alive. The only sign that Howard had to know his son was still alive was the omega’s gaze switching from the wall to the new visitor.

Howard brought up a chair next to the bed and sat in it, not wanting to upset Tony’s stomach with the smell of food in case his stomach wasn’t well. Tony didn’t move when Howard reached his hand over to brush through his son’s hair long dark curls clumped together with sweat and tears. 

“Hey, Tony,” Howard said gently, smiling a little when the omega leaned into the touch. “I have some water for you, and some food if you feel like eating.”

Blinking up at his father, Tony whined and shivered.

“I know you don’t want to, but you need to eat.. For you and your baby.”

Tony’s eyes widened at that, jerking his head back and looking scared. “H-how did you know?”

“Your mother told me, but it’s okay, Tony. I’m not upset at you.” Howard twitched his fingers to urge Tony closer again. “I promise I’m not upset.”

Another whine came from the omega’s throat, but he did move closer and felt comfortable when his father continued to run fingers through his hair. “You would have made me stay in London…”

Howard sighed. “Well, you’re not wrong. That baby’s life is precious, after all. Part of Steve makes up the baby.”

Tony took in a shaking breath. “Mom said… that you were working on finding Steve.”

“I was. I still am, but it’s harder to search now, since my search is no longer funded by the army. They got what they wanted and backed out before I had time to even get a say in the matter.”

“So… you still haven’t found him…” Tony’s voice was watery. 

Howard shook his head in silence. “No, I’m afraid not. I’m sorry, Tony.”

Silence fell between the two, but Howard continued to run his fingers through his son’s hair. Tony eventually began purring softly, finding comfort in his father in the moment. It was Tony who broke the silence soon after.

“I should have told Steve before we attacked the Hydra base, or told him over the radio when he was on that plane. Maybe he wouldn’t have decided to go down with the damned thing.”

“Now don’t go thinking that way,” Howard said gently. “There’s no way of knowing what Steve was thinking in that moment, and even if he had known, he might have still chosen to go down. We don’t know, Tony… But if there’s one thing I do know, it’s that he loved you very much, and if he’s still alive somehow, I know he’d be fighting his way out of the ice and snow to come back to you.”

“His ring isn’t working.”

“What?”

“Steve’s ring. I gave him a ring for Christmas, and I have one that matches it.” Tony weakly brought his hand up out of the blankets for his father to see. The ring looked like it was barely holding on. “I made these rings… they are linked through wireless networking frequencies. It’s something I came up with… I have the notes on it in my desk if you’re interested.”

“I might take a look. The things you create blow me away every time I see them in action.” Howard smiled and pushed back the blankets to reveal the arc reactor. He tapped in a couple times. “This thing is beyond amazing, Tony. You’re beyond amazing, and I’m so proud to have you as my son… I’m sorry for every time I put you down in the past. I know I’ve not been the greatest father, but I promise to change that as best as I can. We can work on projects together as soon as you’re healed up, and as long as nothing is harmful to the baby, we can work on those projects until the pregnancy keeps you bedridden.”

Tony managed a small smile while new tears streamed down his face, clearly overwhelmed and happy that his father was finally getting along with him. “I’ll show you how I made the arc reactor. And… I think I’ll take a bit of that food you mentioned.”

“There’s a good boy.” Howard smiled back while he stood up and retrieved the tray of soup and water. “I expect you to start eating again, okay? If anything, keep your strength and weight up for the baby.”

Tony nodded as he sat up in his bed, revealing a bare torso that showed every muscle he had built up as a soldier. “I’ll do my best.”

“That’s all I can ask for, my son. Eat as much as you can for now, and I’ll be back later in the day with more, okay?”

Again, the omega nodded, carefully taking the bowl of soup he had been offered. He took a small spoonful into his mouth before he managed a slight chuckle. “You need to go to bed.”

“Oh? How could you tell?” Howard smiled at his son before he took his own bite of soup.

“Your hair is messy and you’ve got bags under your eyes the size of Mom’s purse.”

“Well, I’d like to say these bags are for good reason. Been working nonstop to get your alpha back to you.”

Tony’s smile faded a bit. Steve… He was still gone, and probably would remain gone after so long of not finding him. Tony didn’t want to give up on his hope that Steve had survived, but even a super soldier could only last so long in the icy cold.

Shaking the thought from his mind, Tony continued to eat about half his bowl of soup before he called it quits. His stomach was acting up again, and with as weak as he was, he really didn’t want to make a ton of trips to the bathroom.

“I’m done,” he said after setting his bowl in his lap, looking down at the mostly liquid meal.

“You sure?” Howard asked, setting aside his own bowl. “You’re not quitting just because you got sad, right?”

Tony shook his head. “My stomach is not feeling good again. I just… want to lay down.”

“Okay, you can rest then. I won’t make you do more than you can handle.” Howard stood up and took Tony’s bowl, then he gave his son a small kiss on the forehead. “I’ll leave your water in here for you to drink.”

Tony didn’t make any sort of sound of agreement, he just curled back up underneath his blankets and heaved out a large sigh, as if he was relieved to finally return to resting. By the time Howard had gathered everything up and left the room, the omega was already half asleep.

A few days passed by with Tony getting enough to eat and building up his strength again, but after the fourth day of good habits, the omega was ensnared by his fears and anxieties once again, spiraling into a full blown anxiety attack that left Tony nearly screeching hysterically and hyperventilating so quickly that he got lightheaded and nearly passed out several times. Accompanying the severe anxiety attack came reminders of the war and the last moments Tony had with Steve, the last words he had heard the blond speak, the fear of losing his lover for good, the panic of being left behind in the world, alone and without someone to protect him and his baby. The attack had Tony bedridden afterwards, and the doctor returned with grim news that hardly anything could have been done to save the baby at that point. 

Tony was once again back to where he was before. Anxiety kept him awake at night and panic attacks bombarded him throughout the days as he lay in his bed. If he ate anything at all, it wasn’t enough to keep up his energy or to support his baby. It was no longer a question of if, but when. Eventually, as the days passed by, everything built up to one cold night that Tony would regret for the rest of his life because of his failure to take care of himself due to the most traumatic event in his life.

He had been fast asleep, tossing and turning in his bed. Tony had simply been unable to eat at all that day, and he was feeling weaker than normal. Most of his day had been spent sleeping or staring at the walls. He seemed to be in an entirely different world when someone came in to check on him, and he hardly responded to them when they talked to him. He hadn’t let anyone know how steady his pain was growing throughout the day, the cramping that often had him curled up into a ball on his bed while wishing the pain would go away. 

No one had a clue of when disaster would strike. With Tony’s physical and mental health in decline, he had little chance of preventing what was to come. 

Nightmares filled Tony’s dreams that night, his body going into panic mode even while he slept. It was the final trigger that caused the disaster to finally rear its ugly head and spit its venom. It started with the cramps suddenly growing sharp and constant. The pain was so great that it woke Tony from his slumber, the omega’s eyes snapping open before he groaned and curled up into a ball. The last time he felt something as painful was in London, passing out on the floor after he had taken his uniform off and realized he needed the arc reactor to survive.

Being curled up helped none, so Tony sat up and groaned louder, then he cried out at a sharper pain. He started hyperventilating as the pain only seemed to grow worse, and a wetness seemed to build up around his waist. There was no way this could have been one of those heats omegas could experience after losing their alpha early in life, or even just a random heat during pregnancy. Nothing related to heats could really hurt that bad, not as bad as Tony hurt. He thought he was done with pain, he thought he was doing good, but of course how cold he see just how bad a condition he was in when he was constantly bombarded by his fear and anxiety? How could he see what he was doing to his own body?

Howard’s and the doctor’s words echoed in his mind as another wave of extreme pain rolled through his abdomen agonizingly slow. Words that he was supposed to listen to but didn’t. He should have listened, heeded the warnings he was given, but the time to listen had long since passed. Now Tony was experiencing something he hoped he could have avoided.

Tony clutched his stomach with another cry before he reached as far as he could to turn on the lamp on his nightstand. Yellow light flooded the room, and Tony’s heart dropped to his stomach as he saw the bright red blood covering the blankets, sheets, and shirts he had been huddled under. He started to panic, whispering “_ No no no _,” to himself over and over while he struggled to breathe properly. This wasn’t what he had wanted to happen. Tony wanted the baby so badly, but he physically wasn’t able to take care of himself enough to save that precious baby. Tony had been helpless, and that fact alone was enough to get him crying as he suffered through the worst physical and emotional pain he had ever endured. This was like losing Steve a second time, a second time that Tony couldn’t help what outcome came of it. 

The cramping only got worse as the minutes ticked by. Tony was screaming in pain and anguish, tears rolling down his face. He wanted to get up and get help, but he was so weak that he couldn’t move a muscle. He had to lay in his bed and suffer and hope someone could hear his screams. Otherwise, he would be found in the morning covered in blood and sobbing at yet another loss.

Heavy and quick footsteps came rushing down the hall towards Tony’s bedroom as his pain only seemed to get worse by the second. He could already tell his lower half was coated in his own blood, and that made his stomach churn, because he could smell it too. As soon as the door opened and light from the hallway made the room brighter, Tony let out a scared whine and tried to reach out for whoever it was that had entered his room.

“Tony!” Howard’s voice. The omega started wailing.

“Oh my god…” Maria’s voice. Both his parents had come to check on him.

“I’ll go get the car ready.” Jarvis was there too. Everyone in the manor had come. Tony sobbed even louder as he clung to his father.

“I’ll keep holding him,” Howard said as Jarivs left. “See how bad it is, Maria…”

Cautiously, and also speaking calmly to her son, Maria pulled back the ruined sheets, blankets, and shirts, gasping at how red everything was. “Oh, my poor baby… It’s bad, Howard.”

“Get everything off of him and put clean clothes on. As soon as the car’s ready, we’ll go to the hospital.”

Tony’s eyes were wide as he averted his gaze, not wanting to see what he had dreaded. He was going to be sick if he saw even one drop of the blood that soaked through every bit of fabric around him. Thankfully, Maria and Howard did their best to comfort him and clean him up. There was no way Tony was going to feel comfortable for a long while, though. After everything he had gone through in such a short amount of time, it was a miracle he was still able to show any sign of emotion.

“Alright, he’s ready to be moved,” Maria said after new clothes had been put on Tony and she had grabbed some towels out of his bathroom. “Let’s wrap him up in these, so he doesn’t get too cold or too dirty again.”

Howard picked up his son carefully and let Maria wrap the omega up, then the three were heading downstairs and to the garage where Jarvis had their car running and ready to leave. Tony was handed off to Maria once she was seated in the car, and she held her son close, her own tears mixing with Tony’s as she leaned her head against his. The trip to the hospital was silent except for Tony’s crying, both out of emotion and physical pain. Everyone knew just how painful the moment was, and any amount of talking wasn’t going to help the situation in the slightest. 

“Mama, I’m sorry,” Tony managed to croak out between tears.

“No, baby, you don’t need to be sorry for this,” Maria responded, her own voice cracking with emotion. “You did the best you could.”

“I ruined everything. I ruined Steve’s clothes, I lost his baby, I…” Tony choked on a sob. “_ I lost our baby… _”

“Hush, baby, maybe there’s still a chance…”

Silence fell once more until they reached the hospital, and Howard took over carrying his son once more. The parents and their son filed into the emergency room while Jarvis went to park the car. He didn’t need to be in the way when nurses rushed away the omega to a room. Howard went with the nurses while Maria stayed behind to fill out paperwork. Mother and father were fully prepared to stay with their son for a while before a doctor came around, but thankfully they didn’t have to wait long. 

Tests and examinations were done on Tony before the nurses cleaned him up and an IV drip was inserted into his arm before he and his parents were left alone once more. Pain medication soon kicked in, thanks to the IV, and Tony was soon feeling physically comfortable again, but emotionally he was completely destroyed. There was no quick recovery from the emotional trauma the omega had experienced, and it showed. Tony lay in the hospital bed, staring up at the ceiling as his tears rolled down the sides of his face. He had nothing left of Steve, and that was devastating on its own. Losing that last bit of Steve that Tony had been clinging to left him without hope or a will to live.

The doctor returned soon after with results from the tests, and they were grim, as was expected. “I’m sorry to say, but Tony has miscarried… The baby has been lost.” 

Maria put a hand over her mouth as she leaned into her husband, crying silently.

“We’ll keep watch over Tony here for a while, just so he strengthens up and can walk on his own again, then we’ll send you all back home,” the doctor said before leaving the family once more. 

Nurses came in to check Tony’s heat rate and IV drip, along with a few other things concerning the arc reactor, and they offered coffee and blankets for the parents since it was nearly four in the morning. Maria and Howard were given the option to stay up if they wanted, but they were also allowed to sleep beside their son if they were still tired. 

So the family waited and mourned the loss of yet another family member in just a few weeks. No one was as broken as Tony was, the poor omega losing his whole world so quickly after gaining it all just as quickly. Only a few years of knowing Steve had led to love, a deep bond, the promise of marriage, and a child to love in the future, but the rage of the war had snatched that all away from Tony, as if he was being punished for fighting a war he didn’t belong in. Over the few days Tony was in the hospital, that was his mentality. Everything he had done in the war that went against what society wanted from him was being punished by way of losing nearly everything he had loved. It was all his own stupid fault for getting involved with Steve in the first place. If he had just stayed home with his mother the day Steve had been injected with the serum, none of his trauma would have ever existed.

Tony cried a lot in his recovery. Nobody blamed him, especially after all he had gone through. Several times he kept blaming himself for everything that happened, and then he’d go right back to crying and apologizing to someone about all the hatred he had in his head while he recovered. It wasn’t like him to be so upset, but after losing the love of his life and losing the child that was the product of their love, he had every right to feel whatever emotion came his way.

Even after leaving the hospital and going through a full physical recovery after the miscarriage, Tony was never really the same afterwards. For months after, he was victim to his depression and anxiety, often being closed off to the world and those who cared about his well being. After the United States Army recognized him as an official soldier in the war, several of the Howling Commandos came to visit Tony in his home in Malibu, and he was so very glad to be surrounded by friends he cared deeply for. He was especially glad when Peggy came to visit. Tony often found himself glued to her side, almost literally, when she was around. She was the closest living friend he had, and he was determined not to lose her to some catastrophic event as well. 

In September of that year, 1945, the official end to the war came, and there was a celebration across the world. There was no more fighting to be had, the world taking a breather to rebuild homes, cities, and families. Life went on in a happier tone, but Tony was still left with his memories of pain and loss from the war, and those memories kept him at home most days, up in his room drawing away at new designs that never really got finalized before they were tossed to the side, meaningless without a use for them. Tony felt similarly about his day-to-day life. Without Steve around and no baby to take care of, he felt he was simply just a mass of atoms that required so many things to keep on living.

After the war, Tony, never went back to his old self, and he struggled for so long just to find the motivation to get out of bed every morning and seize the day.

* * *

**April, 1950**

“Hey… Dad, Mom?”

Howard and Maria had been sitting in the parlor when their son entered the room, looking like he had been crying yet again, but like he was humbled by something. Both parents ushered their son closer to sit with them on the sofa.

“Hey, sweetie,” Maria said with a smile, running a hand through Tony’s long dark curls of hair after he had sat down. “Are you feeling alright today?”

“I think so… but I wanted to talk to you two about something.”

Tony’s hair had gotten significantly longer since the first time he had met Steve, but he maintained it about shoulder length in the back. He often just brushed it back so it wouldn’t be in his face when he worked on designs. In the five years since the end of the war, since Tony lost everything, he had also neglected to keep himself clean shaven all the time. As a male omega, facial hair wasn’t impossible, but it often grew very slow and patchy compared to male betas or alphas. That was roughly what his own facial hair looked like, but he had convinced himself that it looked good on him, and it made him look like he was off the market for any courting. Tony would only allow one alpha into his life, and that was Steve. Now that Steve was gone, he wasn’t interested in anyone else, and he was glad his parents didn’t push for him to start looking again.

Maria let her hand run down Tony’s face with a soft smile before playing with the hair at the back of his neck. “What is it, Tony?”

Tony cleared his throat, feeling another round of tears slowly creeping up on him. “Well, Steve still hasn’t been found yet… and at this point I don’t think he’ll be found unless some miracle in technology happens.”

“I’ve been trying my best,” Howard said gently. “You know I haven’t given up on finding Steve.”

“I know, Dad. But I don’t know if I can really last the rest of my life without him…”

Maria and Howard both looked alarmed at what they thought their son was hinting at. Fearing the worst, Maria threw her arms around her son. “Honey, no… please, you are so loved still! I know Steve being gone is tough to live through, but you still have reason to live!”

“If you need therapy, we can get a therapist for you,” Howard added. “If you don’t want to talk to us about it, that’s fine. We can get someone for you to talk to. Hell, we can get Peggy over here for you to talk to.”

Tony managed a light chuckle at his parents’ reactions. “Mom, Dad, I’m not thinking of suicide right now, I promise. I don’t really feel like I want to die anymore. But I’m still bonded to Steve… maybe not completely, but enough to make me physically sick sometimes. The doctor did confirm I have mate sickness.”

Both parents sat back to look at their omega son, wondering what was going through his mind. “A bond left to rot often leads to a lifetime of illness, both physical and mental,” Howard said. “I know what’s happening to you, son, but there’s nothing we can really do for you. I mean, it’s not like time travel is possible and you can just go back to see Steve before he crashed in that plane.”

“Time travel may not be possible… but I’ve been working on some calculations, and… well, all I’d really need is the materials to make this possible.”

“Make what possible?” Howard asked.

“Suspended animation. Slowing down the body’s functions just enough to keep a person alive but asleep. It’s possible that if Steve survived, that he’s in a similar state right now, probably due to the serum or the high metabolism he had, due to the serum.”

“You want to wait it out.” the father said. “Go into suspended animation and wait for Steve to be found before you wake up again.”

Tony nodded. “I’m not exactly sure how long I can make the sleep for myself last, but if we make a serum similar to what Steve had, then I could possibly be frozen in time to wait for Steve to be found and also woken up.”

“A great idea, Tony, it really is. But what if Steve is never found? Or what if he’s found dead, not alive?”

Tony inhaled. “If he’s never found… the machine I’ll build to keep me frozen will eventually fail, and I’ll wake up and live in whatever age I wake up in, or I die. If he’s found dead, then pull the plug on me, so I can join my alpha in the next life. I don’t want to suffer alone without him any more.”

“Tony…” Maria put her hand on her son’s shoulder with watery eyes. “You really want this?”

“I love you two so much,” Tony said. “But I have a chance at not being sick any more. There’s a chance Steve is still alive and is just waiting to be found, and I want to be there when he wakes up. Mate sickness goes both ways, after all. I don’t want him to suffer like I have for five long years.”

“Five years of mate sickness is quite a long time, especially if you choose not to move on from your old mate,” Howard said, trying to make sense out of the situation. “I don’t want you to be sick any more than you have to, and if you’ve ran these numbers and they look good… then I’m okay with you going through with this.”

“Howard,” Maria said. “Do you really think this is best for Tony? I don’t want to sound like I’m opposing this but… well dang it, I don’t want to lose my baby boy.”

“I know, darling, but you can see how much our son is suffering. He’s hurting enough to make his own plan to make things right for himself. I know he’s serious about this because he ran the numbers.”

Maria and Tony both let out little chuckles, both mother and son beginning to cry. “It’s okay, Mom,” Tony said. “I want this. One way or another I’m going to be with Steve again. When, I don’t know, but I’ll see you and Dad again one day too. It’ll only feel like a short time until we meet again.”

“Oh, Tony…” Maria started fully crying as he hugged her son once more. “I love you so much… and I want you to be happy and free of your sickness. If this is the way to do it, then I’m okay with it as well.”

“Really? You both are okay with this?” Tony looked back and forth between his parents. 

“Of course we are,” Howard said with a smile, petting Tony’s hair. “We want what’s best for you, and we both agree that this plan you have is for the best.”

“Wow, I… thank you, guys. I thought I’d have to do more convincing.” Tony chuckled, then started crying, a smile on his face. “I love you guys,” he whispered as his parents wrapped their arms around him.

“We love you too,” Maria responded.

That afternoon, Tony and Howard began work on the machine that would hold the omega in suspended animation. It looked very similar to the chamber that Steve had been in to get injected with the serum, though there was more of a window to see inside, just for someone to check if the omega was still alive from time to time. There was still a lot of math to do, but Tony and Howard worked together to check, double check, and triple check all the numbers. They were finally able to confirm that the machine would run for a very long time, running off of a larger arc reactor that was about the size of a small tractor tire. The two spent weeks creating the reactor, and using Tony’s smaller reactor as a base, they were able to get it working to full capacity just a day after it was completely built.

Once the machine and the reactor were all ready to go, all that was left to do was create a serum that would increase Tony’s metabolism, which was what the omega had suspected would have kept Steve alive if he had indeed survived. Test after test needed to be performed with familiar faces, scientists from the Strategic Scientific Reserve volunteering their time to help the mate sick omega reunite with his alpha.

It took several tries but by the end of May, in the same week as Tony’s birthday, the finalized serum was complete. The closet in the back of Howard's home office was to be the location of the machine and the arc reactor, and was thus Tony’s place of rest. It was either going to be his life saver or his grave, and both options were options Tony was okay with. All he wanted was to be with Steve once more, in life or in death. Finally, he was getting his chance with this plan of his. His last day with his family was to be on his birthday, and when the clock would strike midnight of the next day, Tony would be given the serum and put into the machine to sleep until he could meet his mate again.

The last day with his parents was perhaps one of the best days of his life. Maria and Jarvis had made him his favorite breakfast, and afterwards Howard and Tony tinkered with things until they got ready to go out into the city. They shopped and walked around some of the finer places in Los Angeles. The day was warm and sunny, and Tony got to show off his best outfit and sunglasses. Needless to say the Starks were looking as fine as ever on that precious day.

After several hours of shopping and seeing the sights, Tony was taken to his favorite restaurant for dinner, and he was genuinely smiling through most of the night. He felt happy for the first time in so very long, and he knew he was sad to be leaving his parents soon, but he was happy to spend his last day with them being a happy family and simply enjoying the pleasures in life he still had. Soon Tony wouldn’t be so lonely anymore, and eventually he would see his parents again, and he’d give them a huge hug on that day. 

And perhaps, his Little Bitsy would be waiting for him on the other side, playing with their grandparents with a huge smile on their face.

On the way back home, Tony was crying, and so were his parents. They knew that their goodbyes would be bittersweet, but Tony was going to be happy again, and that was all that the three of them wanted. No more tears, no more pain, only happiness for the omega who deserved every bit of joy he had experienced with his mate and his family. With Jarvis driving them home, the parents and their son all huddled in the back of the car and cried together. Only a few hours were left of them being together physically, and the reality of the situation was hitting hard on the small family. Soon Maria and Howard would be alone like they were before Tony was born, and it had been so long since that time. The manor was usually alive with Tony’s presence, but after midnight, Tony’s presence would be gone, and he would be locked away to wait for Steve.

When they arrived back home, Tony took time to walk around the manor and take in his home one last time. The elegance of the whole manor was a lot to take in, but Tony knew every inch of it by heart. The carved railings on the grand staircase, the lovely piano in the parlor, the way the kitchen was always illuminated by natural light, it all held fond memories for the omega, and by the time he ended his walk in the parlor, he was nearly sobbing.

Maria came up behind him with Howard, and the three hugged before the woman moved over to the piano and played a classical piece for Tony for the last time. It was difficult to listen to, but Tony sat on the sofa with his father, listening to the beautiful song as the last hour of his birthday passed. Tony had no regrets in his decision, but knowing he would never get to hear his mother play for him again, never get to tinker with machines beside his father again, never see Jarvis and joke with him again, it all came crashing down on the omega as he sat on that sofa, and he cried until his throat hurt and his eyes were dry.

The grandfather clock in the parlor finally stuck midnight, and Maria finished her song with the beginning of the chimes.

“It’s time,” Howard said softly, his voice cracking with emotion. 

Slowly, the three made their way to the back of Howard’s home office. The vile of serum sat waiting on the desk, its blue tint cold and unforgiving. It almost felt threatening, but it held so much promise in it that Tony was counting on it working.The door to the closet and the machine both were open, just waiting for the lone occupant to enter for a slumber that would last over a hundred years if it needed to.

Maria wrapped her arms around her son’s arm while Howard grabbed the vile with a needle attached at the end. The mother’s head rested on Tony’s shoulder, eyes closed as she loved on her son as much as she possibly could. Soon the needle went into Tony’s skin, and the process began to keep him alive in suspended animation. One last hug was shared between the three.

“We love you so much,” Maria said. 

“We’re so proud of you,” Howard added. “Thank you for being such a perfect son.”

“I love you guys too,” the omega responded. “I hope… that Steve is found alive soon, and we can all be together again…”

Both parents smiled at their son they were so incredibly proud of, and they both kissed one of Tony’s cheeks before Howard guided his son over to the machine.

Tony took a deep breath before he stepped inside and turned to face his parents. Before the door closed on him and blasted him with an intense cold that would knock him out almost instantly, he let slip a few more tears and a few more precious words.

“Goodbye, Mom and Dad…”

The door closed on him, and then Tony was plunged into a cold darkness that he wouldn’t wake up from in a very long time.


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally, here is the last official chapter of this fic. There's a little bit of angst here, but it's mostly reunion fluff and the boys finally being back together.
> 
> Another big thank you for TiBun for being my beta reader in this fic. Without her, The Strongest Hearts wouldn't have turned out as great as it did. I couldn't be more grateful for her help and encouragement, and for tolerating the long time it took for me to write this fic.

** July 2008**

_ “—curve ball, high and outside for ball one.” _

The voice on the radio was hard to make out, but Steve wasn’t exactly focused on that noise just yet. His mind was still hazy, cold, like he had been sleeping for a very long time. He hadn’t opened his eyes yet, but he could tell that it was bright behind his eyelids.

_ “So the Dodgers are tied, four, four. And the crowd well knows that with one swing of his bat, this fellow’s capable of making it a brand-new game again.” _

Steve furrowed his eyebrows together before he finally opened his eyes and looked around from the laying position he was in.

_ “Just an absolutely gorgeous day here at Ebbets Field. The Phillies have managed to tie it up at four to four, but the Dodgers have three men on.” _

Steve groaned just as little as he sat up on the edge of the bed and gripped it tight. He focused on the radio now. The announcer’s words sounded familiar, like he had heard them before somewhere else…

_ “Pearson beaned Reiser in Philadelphia last month. Wouldn’t the youngster like a hit here to return the favor?” _

Steve knew where he had heard those words before. In 1941. A baseball game he had attended as a fan. He had been at that game.

_ “Pete leans in. Here’s the pitch. Swung on, a line to the right and it gets past Rizzo. Three runs will score.” _

Steve looked at the radio, feeling confused and uneasy. This wasn’t where he last remembered he was. The last thing he remembered was trying to send out a vibration to Tony through their rings. The alpha looked down at his hands. The ring was missing.

_ “Reiser hits to third. Durocher’s going to wave him in. Here comes the relay but they won’t get him.” _

The door opened to the room Steve was in, and his eyes darted up to the woman who walked in. A tall beta with long dark hair and a smile that seemed fake. Steve lowered his eyebrows just as little as he felt a growl form in his throat.

“Good morning,” the woman greeted. “Or should I say afternoon?”

“Where am I?” Steve asked, trying not to sound threatening. He didn’t know who he was up against just yet, but he didn’t feel safe.

“You’re in a recovery room in New York City.”

Steve looked at the ground as the announcer on the radio got excited. He knew the next play like it was the back of his hand.

_ “The Dodgers take the lead, eight to four. Oh, Dodgers! Everyone is on their feet. What a game we have here today, folks. What a game indeed.” _

The alpha looked back at the woman, his blue eyes piercing. “Where am I really?”

The woman blinked. “I’m afraid I don’t understand…”

“The game. It’s from May 1941. I know because I was there.”

The woman’s shell cracked as her smile fell, and a brief flash of panic crossed her expression.

Steve stood up, making himself look as big as possible, and he started walking towards her slowly. “Now I’m going to ask you again. Where am I?”

“Captain Rogers—”

“Who are you?!” Steve demanded, his voice threaded with his alpha tone.

The door behind the woman opened again, and several armored soldiers came in with hats on their head and cords connected to their ears. Steve backed several steps away, alarmed at the preparedness the woman had for herself. The strange soldiers approached him and tried to calm him, but Steve was having none of it. He grabbed the two who tried to handcuff him and threw them through the wall. The wall gave way easily, and Steve jumped through the new hole he had created. A screen with an image of New York was set up behind the window that had been in the room. 

Everything was so confusing to the alpha, so he ran, trying to find an escape route as he slammed open a pair of metal doors.

“Captain Rogers, wait!” the woman called after him, but he didn’t stop.

Steve ran as fast as he could as he heard the woman’s voice suddenly around him and enhanced greatly in volume. 

“All agents, code 13. I repeat. All agents, code 13!”

Steve burst into what looked like a lobby packed with people dressed in all black. He thought that maybe they were Hydra, but he couldn’t locate the organization’s symbol before he was suddenly being chased after. Running between what he assumed were agents, he knocked a few aside as he escaped the building and ran out into the rainy New York day.

Cars honked at Steve as he ran into the middle of the road, and he growled at them involuntarily before he started sprinting away. He vaguely recognized where he was at, and Times Square was just up ahead. He ran as fast as he could, then he had to stop. Everything was so unrecognizable. Lights and flashing advertisements blew his mind enough to let several vehicles close him into the space he had halted in.

“At ease, soldier,” a new voice called out, turning Steve’s attention away from the many agents who surrounded him.

The man stepped forward calmingly, despite his scent identifying him as an alpha. “Look, I’m sorry about that little show back there, but we thought it best to break it to you slowly.”

Steve gave the man a confused look as he caught his breath. “Break what?”

“You’ve been asleep, Cap. For over 60 years.”

Asleep for 60 years? Sure that wasn’t right. But then again, nothing looked familiar. New York wasn’t New York any more. If the man was correct, then… 

Steve sighed, feeling devastated. Tony… his omega had been left behind to live a life without him. And now he would live the rest of his life without Tony. The alpha let out a low whine.

“You gonna be okay?” the strange man with an eyepatch asked.

“Yeah,” Steve said sadly. “Yeah, I just… I had a date.”

"Come on, Captain. Let's get you readjusted to the modern age, then we've got one more thing for you that we think will make you feel a lot more at home."

"I don't think anything could honestly make _ this _day better, Sir," Steve responded miserably as he was led to one of the vehicles and was instructed to get in.

"Well don't worry about it too much. You've got a lot to take in before we do anything else." 

Once Steve was buckled in, the strange man signalled the driver to go. "Name's Nick Fury," the man said. "Director of SHIELD, but you might remember it as the Strategic Scientific Reserve."

"The SSR… did we win the war?" Steve asked at he watched skyscrapers pass by.

"Hell yes," Fury responded. "Unconditional surrender. Taking down Hydra was a big part of that."

The blond nodded, his mind stuck on Tony. "What year are we in?"

"2008. Been a long time since 1945. But life hasn't changed all that much, I promise. You'll see soon enough. As for your concerns about your old mate…"

Steve looked at Fury with a renewed interest, though his heart still ached for his lover. "Fiancé, actually."

Fury nodded. "We have information on him that you'll be very interested in, but it's best to just show you rather than tell you." 

"Is he still alive? Where is he? Can I see him?"

"Slow down, Cap. One new thing at a time. You've got all the time in the world right now, so just take a breather and relax."

"You don't understand, he's the man I love the most, I can't bear to know if he never got to see me again. I… I don't even know how I got here. How am I still alive?"

"We believe you were in suspended animation, probably from the serum, but we aren't completely sure."

Steve sighed. He felt it was unfair if he got to survive and live a young life if his omega had to grow old without him. He'd feel guilty if that was the case. 

"I know all of this is sudden, but you have a place here," Fury reassured Steve. "You'll belong with us soon enough. Just hang in there."

The rest of the car ride was spent in silence. Steve was as confused as ever, but he still couldn't stop thinking about Tony. His ring had broken on impact with the ice back in 1945, and he was devastated that he didn't even have the pieces to try to put it back together. He didn't have a ring to show off anymore to say he was getting married. And hell, he worried that Tony had moved on from him and married some other alpha, had a family with that alpha and had just completely forgotten about him. He'd be heartbroken to find that out, but could he really blame Tony?

The car stopped in front of a completely normal looking building, and Steve didn't suspect a thing until the entered the building and saw nothing in the lobby but a simple desk and an elevator. Of course. Just like the old SSR base. Fury led Steve into the elevator, then they were going down much faster than the blond had anticipated. He startled a little when the elevator moved, and he felt his face heat up in embarrassment.

When the doors opened again, Steve nearly dropped his jaw. Everything he saw was so much more sophisticated and clean in design, more organized than the cluttered base in London he had learned about so many missions in. Agents were everywhere Steve looked, and he began to trust them a little more, but he still wasn't fully trusting Fury, so he wasn't ready to fully trust the agents just yet.

"Welcome to SHIELD, Captain," Fury announced. "We're still working out some things, but thanks to Margaret Carter, we're a lot further along than we would have been."

"Peggy? She had a big part in this?"

"So did Howard Stark. The two of them worked hard to get us where we are today. We owe a lot to them." 

Fury rounded a corner that led to a set of metal doors. He went through them while gesturing for Steve to follow. Behind the doors was what looked like a full medical center ready to take patients., which he hadn't seen in so long. Most medical centers and hospitals he remembered seeing were filled to the brim with wounded soldiers, and normal patients had to either make house calls or go somewhere else to get treatment. Now it looked like doctors could attend to multiple patients at a time without worrying too much about the patients being stable under a nurse's care.

"Why are we here?" Steve asked, though his mind was jumping to conclusions as to why exactly they were there.

“We were given specific instructions for the occasion of finding you alive in the ice,” Fury started to explain. “We admit, we didn’t think you were going to wake up when we found you. Melting the ice keeping you in suspended animation took longer than we expected. Too bad you didn’t have a machine keeping you alive.”

Steve was confused by the last sentence. He knew about such machines that kept people alive who were diagnosed with polio. If Tony had some how contracted that disease, Steve was going to feel even worse. The idea of leaving his omega and letting him get sick was just about the worst thing Steve could have imagined.

The alpha was getting antsy the further into the medical facility they went. He just wanted to know where Tony was. He had woken up in a strange new time period, and not one person even mentioned his mate’s name since he woke up, which had to have been close to an hour already. 

“What’s on your mind, Cap?”

Steve looked at Fury and sighed. “I’ve been awake for almost an hour now, and I still don’t have an answer on where my omega is.”

“Relax,” Fury said. “I know you want to know all about him, but we can’t really tell you much right now.”

Steve growled, grabbing Fury’s shoulder to stop him. “Then what the hell are we doing here? Quit playing games, I want straight answers right _ now _.”

Several agents were suddenly surrounding the two, all with hands on their guns clipped to their belt. That only made Steve more upset, and he growled at them, trying to make himself look as big as possible.

“Stand down, everyone,” Fury shouted, and the agents obeyed, though they were still cautious about Steve. “This doesn’t need to get violent, so everyone just calm down and let me get the captain to where he needs to be.”

As the agents backed down, Steve relaxed some, but he was still on edge. His stomach churned just a little; worried about the truth of what happened to his omega, the love of his life whom he missed so much that it physically hurt. He knew what that feeling was. It was the start of mate sickness, and Steve figured that Tony had gone though it most of his life if he had chosen not to move on from the super soldier alpha he had fallen in love with. 

“Please, I just want to know what happened to Tony,” Steve begged Fury, looking tired and defeated.

“Come on, you’ll learn very soon.” The dark skinned alpha patted Steve’s shoulder reassuringly before continuing to guide him back to a room that was closed off from the rest of the medical facility. Several medical professionals were running in and out of the room, but with the few glimpses Steve could get inside, his heart rate started to go up, and he let out a whine, letting his pain be known to the other alpha.

“We had some trouble finding him, and he’s got some medical issues going on right now, but…”

Steve looked at Fury, eyes wide and starting to fill with tears.

“Wait here,” Fury said before he went into the room, and Steve tried his hardest to follow, but a couple agents put their hands on his shoulders to stop him. 

Steve held his breath. It had been so long, and he was afraid of what he’d see in that room. Tony barely alive and trapped in an iron lung that was keeping him alive? Tony as an old man hooked up to life support and as frail as a piece of paper? So many possibilities ran through his head, but not one of them was even close to what Steve was about to see, the condition his lovely omega was in after over sixty years of being apart.

When Fury returned, the doors were left open, and Steve could see an empty hospital bed. The director gestured for Steve to go in, and the blond couldn’t get away from the agents fast enough.

There were a lot of nurses, and one man who looked like a doctor, who smiled at Steve before stepping out of his way. And then there, right in front of him being supported by a couple of nurses, was a little brunet omega with long dark curls and a hint of facial hair. Soft brown eyes, gentle hands gripping tightly onto the nurses, and a glowing blue disk in his chest. He was dressed in soft clothing, a loose t-shirt that had the bolded letters of ARMY across the chest, and a pair of jeans that seemed to barely stay on the man’s hips. He looked just a little older, but that was him. That was Steve’s omega.

Tony had been looking at the floor, focusing on walking, but when he heard the new person come into the room, he looked up, and his eyes were almost instantly filling with tears. He slowly pulled away from the nurses, walking on his own over to the alpha who stood crying in front of him. A sob escaped Tony’s throat, and then he was throwing himself at Steve and letting out all his tears. His feet left the ground as Steve picked him up, and his legs wrapped around the alpha’s torso.

“Oh my god, Steve…” Tony was wailing as he clung to his alpha, finally being freed from the sickness he had suffered through for years. “You’re alive, I knew you were alive!”

Steve pressed his face into Tony’s neck and inhaled the sweet scent that belonged to his omega. “Oh, Tony, I’m so sorry I left you. I didn’t want to, I really didn’t. I had your picture in my compass the whole time I was going down, and I…”

Steve’s words faded into sobs as he and his omega hugged tightly. There didn’t need to be anymore words between the two in that moment. They understood their apologies and forgiveness. Steve and Tony didn’t have any care in the world at that point. They were finally back together again, after over 60 years of being apart, alpha and omega were reunited, and they had no intentions of parting again until one of them died at an old age.

Steve gently set Tony back down on the ground before he cupped his sweet omega’s face and kissed him. It felt so good, to kiss once more and not be afraid to lose each other to a war. Tony couldn’t help but keep crying, leaning heavily on Steve, as he was still rather weak from waking up.

“We need to talk,” Tony said after he had settled down enough to simply hold onto Steve’s shirt and close his eyes to relax. His alpha’s scent was doing wonders to calm him, but so was the crooning that filled the room. “Somewhere else though. There’s… a lot of private things we need to discuss.”

Steve nodded, looking back at Fury. “Is there someplace we can go?”

“There’s a balcony high above the city in this building,” the alpha replied. “It may be a bit wet, but it’s private enough.”

“Let’s go there,” Tony said with a nod.

“We won’t send any agents to watch over you either,” Fury added as they walked out of the room, slowly so Tony could walk on his own. “I think the captain can handle anything this city throws at him. He did throw some of our agents through a wall, after all.”

“Through a wall? Good god, Steve, I didn’t throw people through walls when I woke up.” Tony managed a small smile, but it was so full of pain that Steve wondered what all his omega had gone through without him.

“Super soldier who wakes up in a strange time and gets bombarded with agents, wouldn’t you think I’d try something to escape?”

“I know.” Tony grabbed Steve’s hand and squeezed it. “I know…”

When the couple finally got up to the balcony Fury had mentioned, which was covered by an awning thankfully, the rain had picked up again, covering New York in a sort of calmness that put Steve at ease for the first time since he had woken up. There were a couple chairs and a side table set up, but Steve moved the table out of the way and pushed the two chairs closer together before he chose one to sit in. Tony ignored the other chair, opting to sit in Steve's lap and bury his face into the alpha’s neck.

The two were silent for a long time, simply enjoying being together once more while the rain fell and brand new sounds of the city below reached their ears. Tony was the first to speak once he got the courage to do so.

“It’s been a long time, Captain…”

“Over sixty years is what I was told.”

Tony hummed. “The year 2008. Never thought I’d get to see this year, honestly.”

“How are you here, Tony? How are you still young?”

“Did some messing around with suspended animation, and a serum that would raise my metabolism.”

“You reengineered the serum?”

Tony shook his head. “Not alone. We had SSR scientists help my dad and I. It took several tries, and nearly my life, but we perfected it so it would keep me young and alive while frozen in time. Apparently that’s how you survived as well. But it wasn’t exactly like yours. I don't have super strength.”

“Fury said something like that, yeah…” Steve went silent again as his hand roamed up from Tony’s waist to the arc reactor in his chest. “What happened here?”

Sighing, the omega lifted up his shirt for Steve to see how the reactor was embedded in his chest. “My dad put it in me… he saved me by doing so. After we got back to London, I was taking off my uniform, and I realized I had been injured by an explosion… Shrapnel got stuck near my heart, and the arc reactor was keeping the metal from hurting me. The thing was barely hanging on when we got back, and when I took it off, I started going into cardiac arrest. The only reason I’m alive now is because my dad found me right as I passed out and he started working on putting this thing in my chest immediately.”

Another sigh came from Tony as he dropped the hem of his shirt. “But the reactor’s failing. Running to keep me alive for nearly 70 years has really done a number on it. I need to make a new and improved version so I can keep living… and so I can stay with you.”

Steve smiled before pulling his omega in for a kiss. He was happy until he noticed Tony was crying again, and he could tell it was more of a sad type of crying than happy. He held Tony close. “Hey, it’s okay. I’m here now, Tony. Everything is gonna be okay, you’ll see.”

“Something else happened while you were missing,” Tony said in almost a whisper. “I should have told you before the attack on the Hydra headquarters… but I needed to make a point to my dad, and I was stupid for doing so.”

“Tony, what are you talking about? What happened? Was it something with your dad?”

“No… No, it was someone else, and… you would have loved them so much.” Tony wiped his eyes as he sat back in Steve’s lap. “We… we had a baby, Steve.”

Steve didn’t respond right away, simply blinking as he processed what Tony had told him. “A baby… Our baby? Biologically?”

Tony rolled his eyes with a light chuckle through his tears. “Yes, silly. There wasn’t anyone else I ever shared a heat with.”

Steve nodded with a sheepish smile. “So… that seems like something you’d be happy about… but you’re still sad.” 

Tony inhaled unsteadily as Steve wiped away more of his tears. He grabbed his alpha’s wrist when Steve’s hand rested on his cheek. “I know… I was happy about the baby, but…”

“Did you leave the baby with your parents?”

Tony shook his head, more tears falling. “No, Steve… I lost the baby after three months.”

Pain crossed Steve’s face after Tony had spoken. “Oh… Tony.” He wrapped his arms tight around Tony, crushed by the amount of pain tainting Tony’s scent.

“I lost the baby weeks after you disappeared,” Tony said weakly. “I wanted to keep the baby so bad, but I couldn’t… I physically couldn’t, Steve…”

“Shh, I’m sure you did all you could, my love,” Steve tried to reassure. “Me disappearing was tough on you, I can tell. It broke you, and I regret my decision in that light, but sometimes… sometimes things like this just happen. It’s not your fault, Tony.”

“No, you don’t understand. It _ was _ my fault. I neglected my own needs, I let myself fall to my anxiety! I failed, Steve, _ I _ lost our baby, the one thing that was all I had left of you after you disappeared!”

Steve pulled back enough to look his omega in the eyes. “I don’t know exactly what you went through, but I can only imagine. I know you’re tough, but even tough people break down sometimes. Losing the baby is painful, yes. It’s going to be probably for the rest of our lives. But I’m here now, and I’m not leaving again. We’ll mourn the loss together, and I’ll love you as much as I can to show you how much I care.”

“It still hurts like it happened yesterday,” Tony choked out. “I never got to know the gender of the baby, but I miss them so much, Steve.”

“Did you ever pick out a name for them?”

“No, never any real name… but I did start calling them Little Bitsy, as a pet name.” Tony shrugged as he turned his head to look out at the rain. 

“Little Bitsy. I like it.” Steve smiled and shifted Tony around until they were both facing the rain. Gently he put his arms around Tony’s waist and rested his chin on the omega’s shoulder. 

For several minutes, the couple watched the rain, trying to make sense of the new world they lived in while mourning what they had lost. Their baby, Tony’s parents, Peggy, Bucky, the Howling Commandos, every bit of their old lives was lost to time, and thus they had to make their way in the new world they had been thrust into. It was going to take time to adjust. Steve was already overwhelmed by how much things had changed, but at least they still had each other and their relationship. No matter what came their way, Tony and Steve knew they could make in this new world, as long as they could stand together holding hands in the process.

"How long have you been awake when I got to you?" Steve asked after a long moment of silence.

"I think about a day. They had to run some tests on me to make sure I was going to make it. My reactor wasn't very strong when I first woke up." Tony sighed and closed his eyes, leaning back against Steve. "I wish I had invented a time machine… could have gone back to my parents."

"Did your father ever get better?"

"Yeah, actually. Our relationship got a lot better after… after you disappeared."

"Oh… I'm sorry it took that for you two to have a good relationship."

Tony sighed with yet another round of tears. "Mom played the piano for me the day I went into suspended animation. It was so beautiful… I already miss my parents so much."

Tony covered his eyes as he started crying again, and it was all Steve could do to not whine and make it known that he didn’t know how to comfort his mate who had left his parents behind. But the alpha knew he had to comfort Tony even if he didn’t know the best way to do so. All he did was hold the omega closer and crooned. In a matter of seconds, Tony was calming down and curling up into Steve, and in the back of his mind, Steve made a note that this was probably how things were going to be for a while, especially after all Tony had gone through, and Steve was okay with that fact. He would be there for his mate in rain or shine, no matter what.

“So what do we do now?” Tony asked when he had calmed down more. “The war’s over. The world doesn’t need Captain America and the Howling Commandos anymore, so what’s a couple of war veterans out of time got to do in a time period in the future?”

“We still have use for the both of you,” Fury’s voice came from behind the two. “Sorry to interrupt, I know I said we’d leave you alone, but we have some files and information on your parents that you might like to see, Mr. Stark.”

Tony stood up from Steve’s lap and wiped his eyes, wiping his hands on his pants. “Well they wouldn’t be alive at this point, so I’m guessing this is info on where they’re buried.”

“To a point,” Fury confirmed. “We also know how and when your parents died, if you’d care to know that information.”

“I suppose. It doesn’t matter much now anyways, considering they’re both dead…” Tony let out a sad sigh as he saw Steve get up out of the corner of his eye. “I mean it does matter to me… I just wanna know if they were happy the rest of their lives.”

“Unfortunately I can’t tell you that, but they both died on the same day in 1991.Both doing surprisingly well for their old age, but they were being escorted back to their home one night when the driver ran off the road and hit a tree. They were going fast… the impact killed all three passengers.”

Tony closed his eyes. Such a violent way to die… Who knows how long they would have lived if the driver of that car hadn’t run off the road. “Thank you… that’s not really what I wanted to hear, but… it’s better than not knowing at all. I just hope that they were happy still after I left them. I’d feel really guilty if I knew they were unhappy.”

“Well, you can look over the videos your father recorded for you. We do have those on file and ready for you to watch if you would like.”

Tony’s eyes snapped open. “Videos of my dad? Was Mom in any of them?”

Fury shrugged. “We don’t know. The videos are addressed to you only, so we figured that bit of privacy could be kept for you.”

Tony smiled and nodded. “Thank you. Um… if it wouldn't be too much trouble, I’d like to see those videos now, or sometime soon.”

"Sure, but we've got a few more things for you two to do before you get settled into modern life again. And that includes a flight out to Malibu. Surely you'd be okay with that."

Tony's eyes lit up. His old home… "Of course! We can go back to the manor, and we can look through all our old stuff. Oh Steve, we can go back home!"

He paused for just a second before looking back at Fury. "The manor is still there, right?"

The alpha nodded. "Yes, with a few modern additions to it. I'm sure you'll still feel at home. That's where we've prepared you two to live anyways. Besides, the manor is legally in your name now, Mr. Stark, thanks to your father's will."

"I wanna go as soon as possible," the omega said. "And I'd like to look over that will. And I want to catch up on history!"

"One thing at a time, Tony," Steve said gently when the omega started to get worked up. "We've got a lot of time, we can do everything you want."

"Everything, alpha?" Tony looked up at his mate with a sparkle in his eyes.

Steve's eyes widened as he caught the slight whiff of flirtiness in the omega's scent. It was nice to see Tony be a little like his old self, but still, they had a visitor. "Yes, my omega, everything," he managed to say without sounding too excited.

"Wonderful," the omega purred while Steve grabbed his arms and let out a small, possessive growl.

"I'm going to go before this gets too far," Fury interjected after clearing his throat. "When you're ready to leave for Malibu, go down to the lobby and let the receptionist know you're ready."

Fury had left rather quickly, not wanting to stick around for anything the reunited couple planned to do, but Tony and Steve had hardly recognized that he had left, the two being engrossed by a rather passionate kiss that was heavy on the heavy petting. Relationships between alphas and omegas who had been apart for a long time eventually got rather physical, despite the deep pain one or both might have gone through. It was just one way that mate sickness could have been cured, and though neither of them really were experiencing the sickness that most couples dreaded, they still were feeling small symptoms of it, and even the slightest amount of symptoms were never comfortable.

After several minutes of simply kissing and feeling each other up, Steve pulled back and cleared his throat, knowing just how red his face was. “We probably shouldn’t wait too long to get to Malibu…”

“R-right…” Wiping his mouth, Tony sighed and straightened his clothes. “If Mom and Dad are buried somewhere around Malibu, I want to go visit them.”

“I think that’s a good plan,” Steve said with a nod. “We can get some nice flowers for them as well.”

“I think they’d love that.”

As the two left the balcony, Tony smiled and grabbed Steve’s hand, leaning against the alpha as he let slip a few tears. He was right, he was finally happy again with Steve, and though he left a lot behind, Tony didn’t feel a bit of regret as he walked beside his alpha once more. All his worries were washing away with the rain the more time he spent with Steve, and though his suffering from anxiety and depression wouldn’t end any time soon, Tony was feeling better than he had in a very long time. It was safe to say he was allowed to be a bit selfish when it came to spending time with his mate.

Flying to Malibu had been relaxing and serene. They were on a private jet that very clearly had a logo for Stark Industries on the side of it, which had excited Tony greatly when he saw it. It meant that Howard had achieved something absolutely fantastic while Tony was sleeping away the years. Tony was sure that he was going to learn more about Stark Industries in the near future.

Curled up next to Steve on the jet, Tony let his years of being brave melt away and expose his soft core; which no one but Steve now were allowed to see. Anthony Edward Stark still had a name, an image to uphold, but in the quiet moment on the plane, he was as fragile as a flower, as peaceful as a bubbling creek on a warm spring day. Tony was a prince at the end of a long war, fought bravely all the way to the end, and at last he was resting with his king, the alpha whom he loved with his entire being, affection transcending time itself, because just like any fairytale, true love was what won wars and broke spells. The kindness of a lover spoken millions of words to the right person, and love was all Tony felt in that moment. No remorse, no sadness, no guilt or emptiness.

Just pure love.

Tony looked up at his king, the magnificent blond that had stolen his heart in a matter of months when they first met. He smiled and reached up to touch Steve’s cheek. “You have no idea how much I really love you…”

“I think I could have a guess,” Steve responded, smiling back. “You did build a machine to freeze yourself in time so you could be with me again.”

“I love you so much more than building that machine.”

“I know you love me more than a machine.”

“I love you in such amazing amounts that I don’t have a _ number _for it…”

“And if you did have a number?”

Tony chuckled. “All the stars we can see in the sky wouldn’t even come close to the number that represents my love for you, Steve.”

“Sounds like you’re talking about a number close to infinity,” Steve said gently, running his fingers through his omega’s soft hair. He loved how long it had gotten since he last saw it.

“Something like that, yeah.” Tony made eye contact with Steve before he pulled the alpha down for a kiss. “I love you to infinity, Steve Rogers, and that number will never get smaller.”

“Perfect.” Steve rested a hand on Tony’s stomach and smiled wider. His blue gaze was filled with nothing but the purest form of love. “You’re perfect.”

Tony closed his eyes once more and curled in closer to Steve. He’d never thought of Steve being a perfectionist, but if he wasn’t, then how did he managed to score the perfect omega as his future husband?

A question to be answered another day. For the moment, there were no questions needed. Tony was back with Steve, and to him, _ that _was more than perfect.

* * *

**-End-**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you all have enjoyed reading this as much as I have enjoyed writing it! The Strongest Hearts is by far my fondest fics i have written by myself (with help from my beta reader of course lol). I'm eagerly awaiting the time I can start on the second fic in this series! Be on the look out for The Brightest Minds, as well as other bonus fics that exist within this universe! TiBun has written an alternate ending to this fic, and I highly recommend reading it for Tony being himself (as usual) and a very sweet reunion between the boys.
> 
> Thanks for reading, everyone. 
> 
> -BWP


	16. [REDACTED]

“Желание. Семнадцать. Ржавый. Рассвет.”

“No… Stop! ”

“Печь. Девять. Добросердечный. Возвращение на родину. Один. Товарный вагон.”

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [A Delicate Fate](https://archiveofourown.org/works/22294018) by [TiBun](https://archiveofourown.org/users/TiBun/pseuds/TiBun)


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